Against All Odds
by Glacia92
Summary: [Sequel to "Quicksilver"!] Light has been restored, and Noctis and Luna can now rule over a rebuilt Insomnia. However, the war against the Empire is far from being over, what with their last leader having a devastating plan in mind, which may potentially ruin the Chocobros' friendship forever, as well as Prompto and Iris's relationship...
1. Whenever My Head Goes Numb

**Hello and welcome everyone! So, this is the sequel to "Quicksilver" and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do because this story follows the events of the previous one. To all the "old" readers, welcome back! This story is completely original, so nothing has been borrowed from FFXV (apart from the characters and locations). I hope I can make this story justice and that you'll all enjoy it!**

 **P.S. I rated this story "M" just to be sure, as there are some adult themes, though never explicit!**

 **I do not own Final Fantasy or its characters!**

* * *

Everything was fine. Perfectly fine, actually. The citizens of Insomnia had all returned to the Crown City when the newscaster announced world-widely that prince Noctis –and now King Noctis- had freed the city from the Daemons together with his four, brave guards, and that his wedding to Lady Lunafreya, miraculously returned from the other world by the grace of the Six, would be celebrated shortly in the Lucian capital. People from all over Eos had come to help rebuild the destroyed city, smiling widely despite the fatigue as the sun shone brightly above them, and cheered whenever their King and his soon wife-to-be were seen assisting the others, working just as hard to bring the city back to its former glory.

It took several months of hard work but, little by little, the Crown City now looked like it had never been through ten long years of darkness and devastation. Everyone admired their work from afar, applauding proudly as the King inaugurated the city reborn and announced that his wedding would be held the following week at the Citadel.

The wedding itself was a majestic one, with the beautiful couple making their vows in front of hundreds of thousands of weeping people and their friends and saviors –Gladio, Ignis (who could now enjoy the ceremony thanks to his restored vision), Prompto and Iris. The girl couldn't refrain her tears of joy when Noctis and Luna finally exchanged their first kiss, officially sealing their union. The four guards all received a medal of honor and were promoted to the highest rank of the Kingsglaive order by none other than Corleonis the Immortal himself.

Prompto grinned widely at his parents after kneeling down and receiving the King's blessing. The four Kingsglaives then proceeded to make their own vows, by swearing they would always stand by King Noctis's and his family's side as guards and brothers.

They were all aware that their war against the Niflheim Empire was far from being over, but none of them actually cared in that moment: they had been through much worse, and they were confident they could defeat their enemies once and for all despite not having the Quicksilver and the help of the Six with them anymore.

However, not a single word about war or other political matters was spoken that day, for everyone –royal, guards and citizens- was too cheerful and solely focused on their happy ending.

Life had returned to being the same as before they left, with the exception that Noctis was now a married man and the King, while King Regis could finally rest in peace as appropriate for a man like him in a proper tomb not too far from the city.

Iris and Prompto hadn't seen each other all that much during the months that followed the final battle, apart from the occasional Kingsglaive meetings with the King and the marshal to discuss their strategy against the Niflheim Empire. In their spare time, they simply had too much to do and too many people to catch up with, mainly their own families.

It had been heartbreaking to hear about how they had been spending their lives during those ten years, hoping and praying the gods that their children were still alive and that the King of Light would save them all. But they were together now, and that was all that mattered.

The city became bustling with people again: adults going to work, children going to school, tourists, cars, buses, the metro, the shops opening to the public again…

Prompto smiled warmly as he watched the city skyline from one of the top floors of the Citadel. His shift was almost finished, and he was getting ready to head back home to his parents, his stomach growling softly at the thought of his mother's special chili beans soup that he loved so much.

His phone buzzed and he immediately stuffed a hand in his pocket to read the name on the screen, his heart doing a flip in the process. His face fell slightly when he saw not Iris's name, but Regine's.

The girl had somehow managed to find his number, probably through friends of friends or something, and kept messaging him at the most inopportune times. He did reply, but mainly out of sheer politeness. She was still a very pretty and attractive girl, but Prompto's crush on her had long been forgotten.

 _"_ _Up for a bite, tonight? xx"_ Prompto read the message and quickly sent a text back.

 _"_ _Got plans, sorry!"_

He was about to pocket his cellphone when it buzzed once more. Prompto rolled his eyes.

 _"_ _Tomorrow then! No excuses, I know you're free! Xxx"_

"How the hell does she even know that?" he muttered to himself as he thought about how to best refuse the offer without sounding impolite. Just as he was about to type a "no, thanks", an idea crossed his mind: yes, he would take her out to grab a drink or something and tell her square in the face that he was simply not interested. Not anymore. Because he fancied someone else. And he would forever get rid of her. Easy peasy.

 _"_ _I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7PM"_ Prompto hit the "send" button before reading her immediate response _"Can't wait! Xxx"_

"Chili beans soup, Prompto. Your mom's legendary chili beans soup" he said while gently slapping his face, and opened the door to leave the Citadel.

* * *

He had been awake until dawn in front of his brand new PC. One of the best things about being a Kingsglaive was actually having money. And quite a lot of it, too. He still lived with his parents as he saved up enough money to buy a place on his own, and gladly helped them with the bills and other expenses even if they insisted he kept the money to himself. Prompto was trying his best, but after ten years spent as a wildling in the dark, he couldn't resist spending most of his salary on trivial or techno stuff, particularly videogames and camera accessories. He did, however, have a separate bank account where he transferred part of his monthly salary and, so far, had saved up quite a lot.

When he opened his eyes, the clock read 2:24 PM. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and sat in bed, wincing as the sun rays blinded him. He would need to remember to pull the curtains from now on.

He wasn't surprised when he entered the kitchen and found it empty: his parents had both gotten their jobs back and were rarely at home. Just like the old times when he was a teenager.

After having a late breakfast consisting of chips and a can of soda, he realized he had absolutely no idea what to do until his "date" with Regine. He missed going to work already, as it was not a proper job to him: it felt more like being around his family, having fun with his friends and –his heart skipped a beat- Iris. Of course, they did discuss war plans and other boring political matters, but he mainly listened as Ignis carried on with the speech and the latest reports.

He ended up spending the rest of the afternoon playing videogames until the clock chimed 6. He had promised Regine he would pick her up at 7, and really needed to hurry as the girl lived at the opposite side of the Crown City, for which he was secretly relieved: that meant the chances of bumping into her by accident were much slimmer, though he did see her a bit too often wandering around the Citadel area with her best friend, giggling stupidly and waving at him when they spotted him in his uniform.

He took a quick shower and put on the first things he found in his wardrobe. He hadn't even bothered to fully shave, thinking his facial hair wasn't that long anyway. He went out and walked towards his dad's car, not as fancy as Noctis's old Regalia, but a reliable and nice car nonetheless. His father rarely used it anyway, considering that he traveled by metro: he said it was cheaper and less stressful given the traffic of the capital.

When he finally arrived at Regine's place, he was only a few minutes late. He sent her a quick text to let her know he was waiting downstairs. Shortly after, he saw her walking towards him with a pair of high heels and a cocktail dress. A _very_ short cocktail dress. She had probably spent her afternoon doing her ebony hair in elaborate curls and a fancy make-up, and many boys passing by stopped to take a better look at her. She kept her eyes fixed on Prompto, however, giving him a seductive smile.

"Hey there, bad boy" she greeted "You look nice!"

Prompto automatically glanced at himself, thinking he didn't look that special, really. Her elegant outfit didn't match his casual one, as he was wearing a simple pair of denim jeans and a black shirt with matching Converse.

"Ehm, thanks" he said awkwardly, and she stared at him expectantly.

"Ehm… you too, of course! You look… lovely" he muttered, thinking it would be impolite not to compliment her at least. He knew how mad girls could get if a man didn't compliment their looks while on a date.

She smiled broadly as he opened the passenger door for her.

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked brightly.

"Mhm…" he hummed, and almost panicked. He hadn't really planned anything: all he wanted was telling her he was not interested in dating her, but he was too kind to end it like that. He simply didn't like hurting other people's feelings, regardless of how annoying they might be.

"What would _you_ like to do?" he asked instead, letting her choose.

"Oh, I'd like to do many things, Prompto" she replied seductively, crossing one leg over the other and revealing her slim thighs. Prompto's hormones couldn't help but make him stare before forcing himself to focus on the road. The girl giggled. "Fancy a drink, maybe?"

She gave him directions to a pub that had recently opened in the city center, not too far from the Citadel. It was very cozy, with wooden floors and walls and lots of vintage pictures of the Crown City decades ago.

"Like it?" she asked when she saw his expression "I remembered you liked photography, am I right? I thought you'd like this place".

"Yeah, it's nice" he said sincerely.

They placed their order and a smiling waiter came shortly after with a Long Island for her and a Jack Frost Manhattan for him.

"A fan of strong drinks, are we?" she said while sipping hers.

"Got used to 'em when I was a hunter. Helped me… go on" he replied nonchalantly.

"It must have been so _fascinating_! You're so brave, Prompto, killing all those Daemons by yourself for so many years. What an adventurous life you've had!" she praised him while slowly closing the distance between them on the leather couch.

"Fascinating you say" he retorted bitterly "You find being completely on your own in the darkness, fighting off deadly monsters for ten years without knowing what happened to your friends and family fascinating?"

She stared at him wide-eyed while desperately trying to find a way to make amend "Sorry, I didn't mean… I… "

"It's fine, really. Sorry for being rude" he interrupted her with a small smile "It's just… it's been tough".

She didn't come any closer to him after their brief conversation, too afraid to have upset him and so they finished their drinks in silence.

Prompto didn't really mind for he could spend those peaceful minutes thinking about something else: like sitting in that same room, on that very couch with Iris, talking about the adventures they had had together and laughing about a particularly bad pun he had said when he was 20.

Someone cleared their throat and Prompto returned to the present. He noticed that Regine had finished her drink and was looking expectantly at him, with a hint of impatience in her eyes.

Prompto stood up and went to pay for their drinks before escorting her back to the car.

"Your turn" she said "What do you want to do next?"

Prompto was very tempted to tell her he simply wanted to go back home and play his videogames, but that was not how a gentleman was supposed to act. And having to plan every single move on the first date wasn't exactly a good sign. He thought that things simply happened naturally when two people were meant to be together. The moments they were sharing together felt somewhat forced, and he was getting bored.

"Regine, I-" he started, but the girl cut him off when she shrieked excitedly and pointed at another shop.

"Look, Prompto! Over there!"

The blonde followed the direction indicated by her finger and saw a long queue outside a Moogle-themed café.

The girl turned her head to him, her green eyes giving him a pleading look.

"Alright, let's go" he complied defeated.

It took at least an hour before they finally managed to sit at a table. The café itself was cozy, even if a bit too "girlish" for his tastes, with Moogle plush dolls decorating the shelves hung on the blue walls, and employees in Moogle t-shirts running back and forth with a huge smile on their faces. Prompto wondered how the heck they could be so happy to be working a night shift only to earn a miserable salary at the end of the month.

She ordered a Moogle-themed cheesecake and a coffee while he enjoyed his Triple-Moofantastic ice-cream. At least the desserts were good. Regine kept talking about trivial things he wasn't really interested in, mainly about her friend Henriette inviting her to join her to the newest shopping center in Insomnia, but he pretended to be listening. He was forced to listen to her speaking about shoes and purses for the next hour before she finally finished her cheesecake with a yawn.

"Ah well, I guess it's time to head back home" she said, and Prompto didn't think he could be happier upon hearing those words.

The car ride to her place took a lot more time than expected as couples were just starting to go out for some night entertainment at the local restaurants or theaters or clubs.

Prompto was quite surprised, however, when he parked the car and the girl opened the passenger seat without turning to him first. She stood outside the car, staring at him with a smile. It took all his self-control not to roll his eyes at her, and he got out too to approach her. It was now or never.

"I've had lots of fun!" she exclaimed excitedly "We should do that again".

"Yeah, about that…" he retorted awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head and making sure he kept his eyes locked on a random spot of his car.

He gasped when he felt an arm grab his wrist and drag him along.

"Before I forget!" she said "You must see this!"

"What the…?"

Prompto didn't think such a slim girl could be that strong as she dragged him into the elevator and up to her apartment.

"I've been _dying_ to show you this!" she continued while fumbling with her purse in search of the keys. When she found them, she unlocked the door and pushed him inside.

The apartment was small but neat and tidy, and he thought she had been planning all along to take him there. She turned the lights on, threw her purse on the sofa and grinned widely at him.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked and, without waiting for an answer, went to a minibar by the kitchen and took a bottle of Prosecco.

"No… I mean, OK" he accepted in defeat, seeing as she had already started pouring the liquid in two glasses. She handed him one and he took a small sip. What had he gotten himself into?

He let his eyes scan the room, the paintings she had hung on the wall, the ceiling, the wooden floor…

The apartment was too modern, he didn't like it. Despite being a technophile, he still preferred a more country style when it came to housings.

He actually let a small gasp escape his mouth when he realized she had stepped closer, too close, and was now standing in front of him.

"D-did you want to show me something?" he asked nervously, instinctively taking a step back. She put her half-drunk glass on the kitchen counter and took his in her hands. She took a sip and then placed that too beside her glass. She seemed to savor the taste of the sparkling wine he had been drinking.

"Always so innocent, are you Prompto?" she closed the distance between them and placed one manicured hand on his cheek "You should know a girl's tactics by now. But yes, I have indeed something to show you".

Prompto swallowed hard as his mind raced fast to get him out of that dangerous situation. He should have known what her intentions truly were when she had started dragging him upstairs to her apartment. And judging by the size of it, he doubted she lived with her parents or anyone else.

Before he could do anything, her lips were on his as she threw her arms around his neck, making sure he couldn't break free. He could taste the sparkling wine she had been drinking as she deepened the kiss, and he really had no idea what to do. His heart and mind told him to take a step back and leave the room behind, while his predatory instincts commended him to stay right where he was. His mind was the first thing to go blank as he placed his hands around her waist and kissed her back with passion. His arousal grew even more when she let a moan escape her mouth, as she guided him to her bedroom.

She slammed the door open with one arm, throwing him onto the bed and starting to undo his shirt as she sat on top of him.

Prompto was sure his face was flushed, just like hers, as he could feel heat rise to his cheeks.

He pulled her closer to him, cupping her face and kissing her fiercely.

"If only I had known back in high school" she panted "I wouldn't have turned you down".

He had let his body take total control over his mind, just like that night with that hunter whose name he had already forgotten. As he unzipped her dress however, his eyes fell on a vase she had on her bed table. The peculiar purple of the flower's leaves had caught his attention and he immediately froze, as his mind took control over him again.

Iris. It was an iris flower. The image of the dark haired girl with sweet, hazel eyes flashed through his mind and he instantly dropped his hands, causing Regine to groan impatiently.

"What're you doing, Prompto?" she asked angrily when she realized he was no longer focused on her or what they had been about to do. She tried kissing him again on the lips as fiercely as she could, but he wasn't responding. He simply pushed her aside, standing up and buttoning up his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Reg" he said calmly "You're pretty and all, but my heart doesn't belong to you".

"It's that Amicitia girl, right?" she asked angrily "She's not even that pretty".

"At least she doesn't need tons of make-up and a fancy dress to look nice" he retorted just as coolly, before leaving behind the girl staring in disbelief at his back, still processing his words.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: a man and a woman like each other a lot, but none of them seem to muster enough courage to ask the other out. But friends are there to encourage too, right?**


	2. The King's Advice

**So sorry for the short chapter, but the following one is longer. Besides, this story only has 10 chapters and I don't want to rush it :) Actually, let me know if you want me to update less often x)  
**

* * *

The King and his wife, Corleonis and the four Kingsglaives were all sitting around a round mahogany table to discuss the latest reports filed in by the Crownsguards. It was only a matter of time before the Empire would strike an attack to claim their territory. Noctis, however, had other plans.

Prompto was trying his best to keep his concentration on the matter at hand, but sitting beside Iris wasn't helping. He still couldn't believe that, despite the girls he had had or could have, he wasn't capable of asking her out. Hadn't they agreed to go on a date anyway? And yet, he couldn't bring himself to actually invite her somewhere.

"…Prompto? Are you with us, man?"

The blonde was abruptly brought back to the present as Noctis's voice called his name.

"Wha-? Oh, sorry…" he said apologetically "I uh… had a pretty tough day yesterday."

"Well, whatever happens in your private life should stay out of this room, Prompto Argentum. You are a Kingsglaive, and your duty is to pay attention and protect your country" Cor reproved him with his usual stone face that made him blush.

"S-sorry, sir. It won't happen again, sir" he muttered sheepishly, feeling the eyes of the whole room on him.

"Let's take a small break" Noctis announced suddenly, standing up and nudging his best friend to signal him to follow the King outside.

Noctis led him to a quiet corridor and turned to face him.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a knowing look.

"N-nothing! Really…" the blonde lied, knowing full well that Noctis could see right through him.

The King did indeed raise an eyebrow, encouraging him to tell him the truth. Prompto sighed in defeat.

"I went out with Regine yesterday" he admitted.

"That girl from high school? I thought you were interested in Iris" his dark-haired friend was visibly surprised.

"I am" Prompto nodded "I just wanted to tell her I wasn't interested in dating, but things sort of… got out of hand".

"Don't tell me you guys…" Noctis hinted with a frown, but Prompto shook his head.

"No… I mean, we almost… did. But I couldn't. You understand, man? She's always on my mind…"

The King smiled warmly at him and crossed his arm "Just ask her out already".

"It's easier said than done" Prompto pouted "Why is it so difficult?"

"'Cause you really fancy her" Noctis chuckled "There's nothing to fear, buddy. She's gonna say yes. She already did, didn't she?"

"I… guess" Prompto wasn't really sure that conversation was taking him anywhere.

"Listen" the King dropped his arms and put one hand on the blonde's shoulder "Iris is over there, by the coffee machine. Go to her, get a coffee too, ask her how she's doing and if she'd like a salmon jambalaya tonight".

"A salmon jambalaya? Seriously, bro?" Prompto couldn't help but smirk.

"Heard it's one of her favorites" Noctis winked at him and started walking back to the meeting room "See you in exactly ten minutes".

"Ten?! C'mon dude, I need at least twenty!" Prompto protested as the King waved dismissively at him, disappearing behind the double doors.

Prompto took a deep breath and walked resolutely towards the coffee machine, where Iris was indeed sipping the dark liquid from a paper glass.

"H-heyaz!" he greeted, his voice sounding three times louder than he had intended.

"Hello there!" she smiled back at him, and he thought he would melt when they locked eyes. His heart had started hammering against his chest and he hadn't even started.

"Ehm… How ya doin'?" he asked a bit awkwardly, but determined to follow the guidelines provided by his best friend.

"Good! And you? You said you had a tough day yesterday. Hope everything's fine now" she replied with a worried tone.

"Oh… oh, no. I mean, yes. All's fine now" he grinned widely, his mind going into total confusion. What was he supposed to ask her now? Iris was staring at him expectantly.

"Ehm…" _Salmon. Jambalaya._ He could almost hear Noctis's voice whispering in his ear. "Would you… _doyoulikesalmon_?"

"What?" she asked blinking in confusion. He cleared his throat and checked the clock on the wall. He had been stuttering like a teenager for five minutes already. Why was time going so fast?

"I said… I mean, I _wondered_ if you would like to have salmon jambalaya tonight... with me?" he rubbed the back of his head feeling heat rush to his cheeks.

"Oh…" she almost whispered, a look of sadness on her gracious face "I'm sorry, Prompto! I promised my friend Serena to go shopping with her in the evening. She's with child and needed some help with baby clothes and… yeah"

Prompto could tell she was genuinely sorry, and immediately reassured her it was fine.

"Maybe another time" he suggested with a forced smile.

"Yeah… maybe" she smiled back sheepishly.

* * *

It was finally Friday. The very first week-end off she had had after months. Cor had insisted they'd all agree to an extra meeting in the week-end to revise their war plan against the Empire, but Noctis had refused whole-heartedly, saying that his guards needed a break too if he wanted them to work efficiently.

Iris flopped onto her bed and checked the screen of her phone. No new messages, the latest being from Serena who had profusely thanked her for her support at the shopping center.

She automatically opened the chat box she shared with Prompto, frowning when she saw the latest conversation dating back to eight days ago, and they had simply agreed to meet outside the Citadel before their shift started.

She didn't like that sudden distance between them. Of course, they had been apart for ten years when she had lived a lonely and isolated life. She had been confident he had moved on, found someone else and was therefore incredibly surprised when, after her return, he was still single. She had been even more surprised when he had asked her out. Twice. And of course she had had other things to do.

Boy, she missed the adventures they had shared on their road trip all those years ago. It had somehow felt easier back when she was a teenager. She was almost thirty now, and still hadn't had any boyfriends.

She had obviously opened up to her newly-found friend Serena, and she had told her to simply send him a message asking if he was still interested in that salmon jambalaya.

She had thought it sounded easy enough, but somehow couldn't bring herself to typing those few words and sending them. It couldn't be that different than asking him whether he could wait for her outside the Citadel before work, right?

She took a deep breath to slow down her racing heart and began typing.

 _"_ _Hey, Prom! You alright? :)"_

She stared as his status went from "Active 14 minutes ago" to "Active now", her heart speeding up even more when she saw he was typing.

" _Hey there, girl! I'm fine, you? ;)"_

She smiled and bit her lip _"I'm good!"_

She hit the "send" button while she thought of the best way to ask him if he wanted to go out for a walk. When she finally started typing, she didn't notice he was too.

 _"_ _Got any plans tomorrow?"_

 _"_ _Got any plans tomorrow?"_

She stared at the screen, originally thinking she had sent the same message twice before realizing they had typed the exact same thing. She burst into laughter as he sent a new message.

 _"_ _Great minds think alike! :D"_

 _"_ _Indeed. But yeah, I'm free as a bird tomorrow, so I'm up for a bite if you like :)"_ it was her turn to send a message.

 _"_ _Pick you up at 5!"_ she read, and wondered what he had in mind. Most dates didn't start before 7.

 _"_ _See ya then :)"_

Her heart felt suddenly very light as she re-read their conversation smiling dumbly to herself. She could imagine Serena chuckling proudly with a "told you!"

"Now" she muttered to herself, opening her closet with a disapproving look "What to wear tomorrow?"

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Iris and Prompto are finally going on their first official date! Will it go as planned? ;)**


	3. Back To Square One

Unlike his "date" with Regine, Prompto made sure he looked as fresh as he could be: he took a long shower, shaved accurately, fixed his hair and put on the best clothes he had. He knew Iris was not the formal type, so he went for skinny blue jeans, a light blue shirt that matched his eyes and black sneakers. As he stared at his reflex in the mirror, he had to admit it was nice to be able to have civilian clothes on every once in a while, even though he wore his Kingsglaive uniform with pride.

Iris's house was a few miles from where he lived, and it was still early afternoon so he doubted he would be stuck in the traffic. And so, he sat in front of his PC to browse the best places to take a girl to. The pub he had been at with Regine was nice and all, but a bit too formal and classy for his tastes. He thought of Iris as an easy-going and down-to-earth girl who liked simple things. So he closed the tabs he had visited which all suggested fancy and expensive restaurants in Insomnia, and thought he would keep the promise he had made: take her out to eat Salmon Jambalaya at the corner of Blossom Street.

It was time to go when he impatiently looked up at the clock on the wall for the umpteenth time, and he finally left his parents' house to walk to his dad's car. With the only exception that his dad's car was not where it was supposed to be.

"You gotta be kiddin' me" he muttered calmly to himself, staring at the empty parking spot "Crap. Damn it."

He grabbed his phone and dialed Noctis's number, sighing in relief when the King himself picked up.

"'Zup, blondie?"

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty" Prompto replied in the politest tone he could muster "I do hope you are enjoying your free week-end with your lovely wife".

"What happened, Prom?" Noctis asked with a sigh, as if he knew his friend was being all formal because he needed something from him.

"Dude, I'm taking Iris out for dinner today!" Prompto dropped his fancy façade and confessed "But my dad took the car!"

He heard Noctis burst into laughter upon hearing his panicked voice.

"So what?"

"So yeah!" Prompto almost shouted "I need a car, bro!"

"Then come pick mine up" Noctis said simply, and Prompto could imagine the dark-haired King shrugging his shoulders.

"Y' know, I'd marry you if you weren't married already and I weren't into Iris" Prompto mocked, and heard the King hum for some seconds, as if pondering something.

"Nah, friends only" Noctis finally replied.

"Right" Prompto laughed "Thank you, buddy".

Prompto checked his watch which read 4:37 PM. He had only twenty-three minutes left, and he would NOT be late for Iris.

He started running towards the Citadel, avoiding the crowd going in the opposite direction and muttering curses when the traffic lights went red. He sprinted as soon as the cars slowed down to let the pedestrians cross, and was soon running across the square outside the Citadel.

"Where do you think you're going, sir?" A solemn-looking guard stopped him when he tried entering the King's private garage.

"I'm a Kingsglaive. Prompto Argentum. I got allowance from the King himself" the blonde blurted out while panting.

"Yeah right, and I am Corleonis the Immortal" the guard mocked without moving from his spot "Identification card, please".

Of course Prompto had forgotten it at home.

"Ehm…" he hummed while desperately trying to think of a way to quickly get away with it.

"Let him in, Jakob".

The guard and Prompto snapped their heads upwards, where Noctis was staring down at them from a window, before waving at his best friend with a smile.

"He can borrow my car" the King informed the guard who immediately stepped aside to let the blonde through.

"Surely, Your Majesty".

Prompto laid his hands in a praying-like position to show his eternal gratitude to the King before sprinting inside the garage.

"Hey Blondie!" Noctis called after him from the tower "Good luck!"

"Thanks, dude! I mean… Your Majesty!" he corrected himself when the guard sent him a shocked look.

Prompto almost crushed the accelerator pedal with his foot in his hurry to get to Iris in the remaining minutes. However, he inwardly cheered for being able to show up with a brand new Regalia belonging to the King himself.

When he finally arrived, he quickly got out of the car and went to ring the bell, smoothing his shirt and hair in the process.

He gulped when he was met not with Iris, but with her brother Gladio.

"The hell you want?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at him.

Oh. Snap.

"I-ehm…" Prompto stuttered. At this point, he wasn't sure Iris had told her brother she was going out with her fellow Kingsglaive colleague.

"It's ok, Gladdy. He's here to pick me up".

Iris joined the conversation and soon came into Prompto's line of sight. For some reason he couldn't explain, he stared at her in fascination: she hadn't done anything special to herself, looking pretty much the same as always. She had, however, used some make-up, especially around her eyes, and was wearing a simple yet stunning turquoise sheath dress and a pair of flat shoes. She was so different from the way Regine had looked in so many ways, proving he had been right all along: Iris definitely didn't need to put on fancy clothes and lots of make-up to look like the most beautiful woman in Eos. At least to him.

She smiled at the blonde when she saw the way he was staring at her, blushing slightly.

"Wait. You're going out with… him?" Gladio broke the magic as he stared from Prompto to Iris and back to Prompto again.

"Yes" she replied simply "Problems?"

"Well, yes?" her brother frowned "You can't go out with Prompto!"

"Why not?" she said irritated. She had always thought Gladio's brotherly jealousy was cute, but she was indeed a grown-up woman now, and didn't need him to make a scene in front of her date.

"'Cause… 'cause he… he's Prompto!" Gladio couldn't even explain why it bothered him so much. He just felt sort of… betrayed.

"Exactly, Gladio, you should know I'm in good hands" she retorted, while grabbing her coat.

"In good hands. With Prompto?" Gladio snorted in disbelief "No offense, dude. But really? Of all people you had to pick my little sister?"

"Ehm" Prompto was utterly mortified. He wished Gladio would just leave them in peace.

"Gladio, shut up or I'll tell mommy" Iris threatened, secretly winking at Prompto.

"One false move, young man and you'll be very sorry" Gladio turned to Prompto, pointing a finger at him "Break her heart and I swear…"

"If you don't go back inside, you'll be the sorry one, Gladiolus" Iris commanded firmly, and her brother stopped to give them one last glance before closing the door behind himself.

"Finally, thought it'd never end" Prompto sighed in relief, making her chuckle.

"I apologize. Gladio can be so thick at times".

"Yeah. By the way, did I say you look lovely?" Prompto decided it would be best to change topic after the awkward encounter with Gladio.

"Thanks" she smiled genuinely "You too".

Prompto offered his arm to her and guided her to the car parked outside.

"But that's Noctis's car!" she exclaimed when she saw the brand new Regalia.

"Yeah, long story. Hope you don't mind" Prompto grinned.

"No way! Wait until I tell Serena!"

He opened the passenger door for her before taking the wheel.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Theater" he answered "the new _Psychkiller_ is finally out! In 3D!"

Iris had never been a big fan of horror movies, but his excitement was contagious. Prompto parked nearby and they walked toward the theater. The blonde bought two tickets and a large box of popcorn as well as two sodas, as Iris picked up the free 3D glasses being handed out by an employee.

When they took their seats, Iris was surprised to see the room was almost empty. Then she thought it was still relatively early, and that most Lucians went out after 7.

The movie itself was not the best she'd seen, quite stereotyped and with a terrible ending where all the protagonists died horribly, but it did make her jump a few times. Prompto had, of course, been more than willing to hold her hand or put an arm around her shoulders when she had been too scared to look.

"So, ready to walk for a few minutes? Blossom Street is not too far from here, and I thought we could leave the Regalia at the parking lot. It's safer to keep her there than just parking her somewhere random. Noctis would kill me if something happened to her…" Prompto suggested, shivering slightly at the thought of a damaged or-worse- stolen Regalia.

"I don't mind at all" Iris answered warmly. It was a beautiful evening, with stars peeping in the dark blue sky as a gentle breeze stroked them. The streets were starting to fill up with people enjoying the beautiful weather and the week-end after work or school. To Iris, being there with Prompto felt like heaven.

They arrived at the small restaurant where people were already waiting in line for their turn to get a table.

"We can go somewhere else if you're hungry" Prompto suggested, looking worriedly at her and then at the crowd.

"It's fine, I really crave some salmon jambalaya and I think it's worth the wait" she smiled at him.

They talked about the long week they had had at work while waiting for their turn and, before they knew it, they were standing in the front facing the waiter taking the orders.

"Two salmon jambalayas, please. And two sodas. With unlimited refill" Prompto placed their order and paid, despite Iris's protests.

"You paid for the cinema tickets!"

"And for food. Problems?" he mocked her while pocketing the rest he was given by the smiling waiter.

They sat at a table by the window overlooking the square outside the restaurant.

"Why unlimited refill?" Iris asked out of the blue, staring at her diet coke.

"Dunno" he admitted "I just like the thought of being able to drink as much as I want, even though a couple of glasses are enough to fill me up".

"So you just paid three times the price of a normal coke just 'cause you like the thought of drinking as much as you want, even if you never do?" she asked with a smirk.

Prompto pretended to mull over it before answering. "Yeah, I think you can say that".

Their food finally arrived, and they ate eagerly, enjoying the spicy taste of it.

"This is by far the best salmon jambalaya I've ever had! Even better than Takka's!" Iris said overjoyed.

"Didn't think you'd enjoy it that much. A fan of hot stuff, are we?" Prompto said, before falling silent instantly. Iris stared blankly at him.

"Did you just…?" she asked, with the shadow of a grin starting to form on her lips.

"Oh. Em. Gee. Just erase that, _please_!" he pleaded embarrassed "I meant _spicy_! Spicy stuff! Oh for the love of the Six…"

Iris couldn't stop laughing at the sight of Prompto's red face as he stabbed his salmon in an attempt to forget the slip of tongue, causing other customers to glance at them with a questioning look.

"Let's get outta here" Prompto suggested when they were both finished eating "Need to cool down with an ice-cream".

He thought the only good thing about his date with Regine was discovering the Moogle café. Iris was totally in love with Moogles, just as much as he was with Chocobos, and decided to surprise her by taking her there. Hopefully she had never been there before.

He smiled relieved when he parked the Regalia outside the crowded café, earning a surprised "ooh!" from her.

"I can't believe it! There was a Moogle-themed café in Insomnia all along, and I never knew it?" she asked in disbelief while trotting excitedly towards the entrance.

He smiled tenderly as he watched her examine the shop while they waited in line, poking the Moogle plush dolls on the shelves and studying the menu to decide whether to try the "Moogalactic Pavlova Cake" or the "Ultimate ChocoMoogle Dream".

When it was their turn, she was still undecided so Prompto ordered both desserts for her and his usual Triple-Decker Fantasy as he dragged her to the nearest available table.

"Prompto, I'm gonna sneak into your locker room at the Citadel and drop a bag of money, I swear!" she protested when he refused for the umpteenth time to take her money.

"Go ahead. But don't say I didn't warn you. What you'll find inside might change your life forever" he joked.

He couldn't believe how nervous he had been to ask her out: she was by far the nicest person to be around with. It felt so incredibly natural to converse with her and walk around with, as if they had always meant to be together. Once again, he thought of Regine and how awkward he had felt around her.

"Well, well. Who do we have here?"

Prompto felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the sound of the familiar voice. Iris lifted her head from her plate and stared at the dark-haired girl who was standing behind Prompto with crossed arms.

"Regine?" Prompto asked wide-eyed "What're you doing here?"

"I may ask you the same question, bad boy. But I can see you moved on fast" she said with a venomous tone.

Iris gave Prompto a questioning look as he frowned.

"I mean" the other girl continued with a malevolent glance at Iris "I have, after all, suggested you take me here, bad boy. So I'm afraid you're no exclusive, honey".

Iris felt her blood boiling in her veins. That girl was just plain annoying, but her words were almost hypnotizing. Did she mean to say she had been in that same café with Prompto before?

"I was waiting for a text from you, Prom" the dark-haired girl continued, changing the tone of her voice from ruthless to honey "After our _night_ together".

Iris didn't like the way she had underlined the word "night", and gave Prompto one more questioning look. The blonde looked horrified.

Prompto thought he knew what Regine was playing at: pretending there had been something more between them in order to destroy his chances with Iris. But how could he convince the girl he loved it was only a lie?

"Let's go, Ir" he said standing up.

"I don't think so" Regine interrupted, putting one arm around his shoulder seductively "Forget this kiddo and let's go have some fun".

He immediately stepped away from her, sending her a murdering look.

"Leave me alone" he warned before turning to Iris "Ir, let's go. Please".

Iris stood up without a word and walked past Prompto and outside the café.

"Oops" Regine giggled "A bit touchy that girl, huh?"

When Prompto turned to leave without bothering to reply, the dark-haired girl grabbed his arm and gave him one last, pleading look.

"Prom, we make a great couple. Forget about the Amicitia girl! Remember how much fun we were having some nights ago?"

"If you can call a one-night stand fun" he retorted coolly before slapping her hand off his arm and leaving the café.

Iris was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Iris is mad at Prompto, understandably. But will she be able to put her pride aside when the Empire suddenly attack? And what will Prompto do when he is faced with a life-threatening choice?**


	4. Revelations And Broken Promises

**This is where the plot picks up by introducing the infamous character of Verstael Besithia :) Pretty sure this dude's gonna be the main villain in Prompto's upcoming DLC. Can't wait! :D**

* * *

Iris spent most of her free Sunday lying in bed. She didn't want to face Gladio and be told that he had indeed warned her about Prompto. After all, she couldn't even afford to be mad at the blonde. They were not together, and he was free to do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted.

But she couldn't deny how angry she felt every time she thought of Regine's words. It sounded like the two had been more than just friends, and Prompto hadn't denied either. Well, she hadn't given him the chance to, having stormed away from the café and walked back home before he could explain. However, the look of horror on his face when he had encountered the dark-haired girl had given him away, and Iris was sure she'd rather spare herself the details.

Her phone buzzed and she jumped from her bed to go grab it, hating herself for hoping it was Prompto. Why was she even bothering anyway? She needed to move on, just like he had.

It was Gladio.

 _"_ _Sis, you've been locked in your room for fifteen hours in a row now. The hell did that idiot do now?"_

Iris rolled her eyes as she typed a message to send to her brother. They always communicated that way when one of the two was too upset to step outside their rooms, but she wished he could simply leave her alone right now.

 _"_ _We had lots of fun, Gladdy. I just don't think we'd work out as a couple. Friends only :)"_

She knew he wouldn't buy it. Gladio knew her too well and, if she wasn't that bothered by it, she would indeed go talk to him in person instead of locking herself up in her bedroom.

Iris went to sit in front of her laptop and opened her social media page. She quickly scanned the names of all the people online before investigating further by checking the status of her offline friends.

 _Prompto Argentum. Active 35 minutes ago._

So he had been on his PC but hadn't bothered to send a message to apologize, or explain. His lack of contact made her even angrier as she stared at his picture –a very toothy selfie he had taken at the Citadel with Noctis- before shutting close her laptop and going to sit on her bed again, fumbling with her phone. She immediately thought of Serena, and started dialing her number. Before she could finish, however, her phone began vibrating as someone called her.

It was Prompto.

Should she even pick up? She pondered for a few seconds before curiosity took the best of her, and she swiped the touchscreen to answer the call.

"Yeah?" she muttered coolly.

"Iris, where are you?" the blonde asked. He sounded agitated, and he was panting as if he were running while talking.

"Home. What do you want?" she asked back flatly.

"Iris, I don't have time to explain now. Get Gladio and come to the Citadel. It's an emergency" he said quickly.

"Sure. Prompto, I don't care what you have to say and I'm not going anywhere to talk to you" she retorted angrily, but he cut her off.

"Iris, it's the Empire! They're heading to Insomnia this instant!" he explained "Please, get Gladio and come here."

He hung up before she could say anything. She stared wide-eyed at the screen as she processed his words: the Empire was attacking Insomnia? Now?

"Gladio!" she shouted as she burst out of her room.

* * *

The news had spread quickly, and the Lucian citizens were being escorted by the Crownsguards to a safe haven outside the city, but Iris doubted they would manage to evacuate everyone before the Empire arrived. Their ships were extremely fast and could cover great distances in short time.

Gladio parked the car at the parking lot inside the Citadel and rushed to the elevator to reach the meeting room. Noctis and Lunafreya were already there, with a look of concern on their faces, together with Cor and Ignis, who looked as stoic as ever.

"You came" Noctis said gratefully "Have you seen Prompto?"

"Isn't he here?" Iris asked "He told me he was at the Citadel".

"I'm here" the blonde entered the room, still panting "Sorry I'm a bit late. Had to convince my parents to get out of the city without me".

"I'm glad you made it" Noctis replied "So, the Empire will be here in approximately an hour. We have been preparing for this, even though we weren't expecting an attack so soon. Should've seen it coming, though. The Empire isn't exactly known for playing fair".

"Indeed" Ignis nodded "But I can proudly say our guards have been training day and night in the event of an attack, and they are all ready to put up an equal fight".

"As High Commanders of the Kingsglaives, however" Cor continued "You will each be assigned a battalion, and you will be responsible of the single operations. I know we haven't been training about this too much, but hopefully you are mentally prepared."

Prompto stiffened up a bit when he heard he would be responsible of a whole battalion while defending a specific area of the Crown City, because he had never really been the leading type. He preferred following orders, but accepted his duty anyway.

Ignis was assigned the northeastern part of the city, Gladio the northwestern, Iris the southeastern and Prompto the southwestern, while Noctis, Luna and Cor would be left defending the central district.

"Follow our procedures and your guts. You're all fully capable of defeating the enemy today, just don't overdo it, alright?" Cor warned before letting them go.

"Hey guys" Noctis called after them "Just come back in one piece, ok?"

They all nodded before proceeding to their respective locker rooms to change into their uniforms.

Prompto was feeling a bit sick as he started feeling the weight of responsibility upon his shoulders but forced himself to remain concentrated. When he was done, he opened the door and waited for the others. He glanced at Iris, who was doing her best to ignore him, and felt incredibly sad: what if something were to happen to either himself or her, and he would never get the chance to explain the truth? He couldn't help but think the Six had made clear they would not be taking part in this war, and Iris didn't have the Quicksilver any longer. It was mortals against machines, now.

"It's time" Ignis declared and they all marched outside where their battalions were waiting for them.

Ignis, Gladio, Iris and Prompto took their positions in the front line as High Commanders before wishing each other good luck and saluting the King and his Queen, who were staring down at them from the overlook tower.

Prompto and Iris arrived at their designated areas shortly after, while Gladio and Ignis proceeded further north. At this point, they could only hope they would all make it out alive. Prompto came to a halt, followed by his soldiers, and grabbed Iris's wrist before the girl could march further on. He wouldn't let her go without wishing her good luck.

"Iris, please be careful out there, will you?"

"What makes you think I won't?" she replied coolly "You should be the one on the lookout. Y'know, in case they convince you to join their cause instead".

She automatically glanced at his right wrist as she froze in shock. Had she just insinuated that Prompto, being born an MT, could betray them? The look of hurt on his face broke her heart, but she refused to make amend.

He stared at her back bewildered, and lowered his head. She was just angry at him, and angry people could say terrible things. He was used to it anyway. He tried to erase her words that kept replaying in his head, but he had to admit they hurt more than anything else before.

To know she considered him a threat, a potential traitor…

"I'll prove you wrong, Ir" he whispered "I'm a Lucian".

They waited in silence, not moving even when they heard the rumbling sound of the Empire's engines approaching the city.

Prompto could see them now, the huge flying ships that were shielding the sun, projecting a large shadow over them.

"It begins" he said "Soldiers, take your positions!"

* * *

"Soldiers, take your positions!" Iris commended and she immediately heard the disciplined shuffling of feet behind her. Her hammering heart was the only sign that it was indeed still somewhere there in her chest, still beating, still alive. How many times had it broken before? It was incredible how much the tiny organ could take.

She kept replaying the brief conversation she'd just had with Prompto, the terrible things she had told him and his bewildered expression. But now it was no time to mull over it, for she needed to stay focused. They were at war, and the tiniest distraction could cost her life as well as her men's.

She watched as the MTs jumped off the flying ships, hundreds of emotionless soldiers and killing machines. She almost envied them for not being able to feel anything, neither fear nor love. She'd give anything to stop feeling right now.

She was scared as she stared at the approaching enemies, marching ruthlessly and fearlessly towards them. But she was a Kingsglaive now: she had never asked for it, but had fully accepted her new role and would keep the promise made to her King even if that meant her life.

When she conjured her faithful bow, her men proceeded to draw their swords as the enemies lifted theirs. Now it was all a matter of skills and some luck. She couldn't do much more for her soldiers, and she could only hope they were trained enough to defend themselves and their homeland.

They were many, but the MTs seemed to be an endless number as their ships kept on dropping them from the sky. Iris could hear the sound of clattering metal against metal, explosions in the distance and screams. She smelled smoke and felt the heat of the fire somewhere nearby. But she kept on fighting, aiming especially at the MT snipers who had found shelter behind the larger MTs which used melee weapons and stopping briefly only to glance at her soldiers, making sure they were still standing, or shouting some commands. She kept fighting even when she felt a stinging pain on multiple parts of her body as enemies tried to eliminate her.

It was pure chaos, she almost couldn't tell anymore who was on her side and who wasn't. Lying on the floor there were countless bodies, mostly mechanical ones. Her stomach twitched in disgust and sadness when she felt her feet stomping onto the bodies of her own men fallen in battle.

Her heart stopped beating momentarily when she caught a glimpse of one specific Crownsguard, lying motionless on the ground. His helmet had fallen off, revealing a very young, blond boy. He couldn't have been more than twenty, and Iris couldn't help but think he resembled Prompto.

"Dammit, Prompto" she muttered between gritted teeth "You'd better make it out alive."

* * *

He was the youngest Higher Commander of the Kingsglaive in history after Iris, and had always hated the role of leader. However, he had to admit he was doing pretty damn good. He glanced at his soldiers as they kept fighting disciplined and really thought they were winning this battle. Prompto smirked slyly when he blew up another flying ship, and all the bastards inside with it.

The roaring sound of the explosions, the shooting, the screaming ceased suddenly as he and his remaining men glanced at each other.

"Is it over?" one of them asked uncertain.

No one answered. They could still hear the sound of war from the other districts.

"Stay on guard" Prompto ordered "Might be a trap".

"Finally learned some common sense, _Prompto_ ".

An unfamiliar voice reached his ears, and Prompto turned toward a white-haired man who was walking fearlessly towards him, with what seemed like a legion of MTs behind him. Where the hell had they come from anyway?

The man came to a halt and looked at the fallen MTs scattered all around with a proud smile.

"Bravo" he applauded "Look what a strong, young man you've become".

"Who the hell are you?" Prompto asked fiercely, tightening the grip around his gun.

"Now, now _Prompto_. You should learn some manners! I thought your adoptive family in Insomnia had taught you some!" the man exclaimed, pretending to be shocked and hurt by his words.

Prompto gasped: how did he know?

"Do these people even know" the mysterious man was now staring pitifully at the Crownsguards "where you really are from?"

Prompto swallowed hard as fear overcame him. What would his men think of him if they came to know what he was born as? Would they still fight alongside him after learning of his true origins? Noctis and the others hadn't really cared, but he wasn't sure the rest of Insomnia would be as merciful.

"Who. Are. You?" Prompto repeated, trying to change the dangerous topic.

"What, you don't remember me?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

When Prompto didn't answer, the man sighed heavily. "You really don't remember your father?"

Prompto froze entirely as he heard a chorus of "what?"

"No, you're not" he said in a low voice "My father is Adrastus Argentum, born and raised in the Crown City of Insomnia. Just like my mother and myself".

"Nonsense" the man chuckled, lazily waving one hand in the air "Why will you deny your true origins? Your _real_ name is Damian Xanthus Besithia, first and only son of Verstael Besithia and you, my child, were always meant to be the Empire's secret weapon. You were created for the sole purpose of aiding the Empire in conquering this land."

"Lies" Prompto whispered in shock "I-I am a Lucian. My name is Prompto Argentum, and I was born here in Insomnia".

"Ah well, if you're so sure about it, I won't insist" Verstael retorted mockingly "But then what is it that you're hiding under that sleeve?"

The man pointed at Prompto's right arm, covered with his Kingsglaive coat and a black leather glove.

"If you have nothing to hide and were indeed born in Insomnia as you so proudly say, show your fellow citizens that you're _clean_ " Verstael turned once more to the Crownsguards, who were staring in disbelief at the two.

"Chop-chop" he encouraged with a smile when the younger man remained still "Or maybe we do have something to hide, don't we Damian?"

"Don't call me that!" Prompto was sick and tired of being addressed with different names, first by Ardyn and now by this man who revealed to be his biological father.

He didn't know what to do or believe anymore. Was that just a lie to mess with his head and make his men lose faith in him and turn against him? But that Verstael guy did seem to know a lot about it and his life. The tale he had told sounded legit, but he couldn't be sure.

"DX-00012803-NII" the man continued calmly, and Prompto jerked. It was the barcode printed on his wrist. The digits he had stared at with disgust so many times before, when he was sure he was alone in his room and could afford to take off the green wristband he always wore.

"I refuse to take orders from an MT!" a soldier suddenly yelled "Show us that wrist."

"Have you lost your mind, Derrick?" another soldier turned to his companion "He is the High Commander!"

"Not anymore! Not if he really is one of them".

Many of the Crownsguards were nodding in agreement, others were simply staring at him with suspicion.

"I… I'm afraid it's true" Prompto muttered mortified "I wasn't born a Lucian. I can't say much about myself or where I am from, for I have been saved by a kind-hearted man and brought here when I was an infant, and then I was raised by a Lucian family. However, no matter what that man says, I am a Lucian, I am a Kingsglaive and I am King Noctis's best friend. I will give my life for him and his people".

"No, Damian. You're coming with me today, willing or not. It is your true nature after all. You've been _programmed_ to destroy Insomnia and lead the Imperial army in their ascension to power" Verstael contradicted with a sly smirk. Prompto had to admit that smirk looked a lot like his.

"I'd rather die" Prompto retorted, and pointed his gun at the man who claimed to be his father.

"My, my Damian. You break this poor man's heart" Verstael shook his head disappointed "But you see, I am afraid you don't have any choice. If you don't join us today, my MTs here will chop your men into pieces. I won't lay a hand on you, but rest assured my anger will fall upon your beloved citizens of Lucis".

Prompto couldn't believe his ears: there had to be something he could do, but he didn't know what. He didn't want to risk the lives of the people that had so kindly welcomed him and allowed him to become who he was today. He then thought of Iris and what she had told him before going separate ways: " _Y'know, in case they convince you to join their cause instead_ ".

"Dammit!" he cursed under his breath and balled his hands into fists as he dropped his gun "Guess I'll have to prove you right, Ir".

"Now, that's my boy" Verstael said with a smile as he approached his son, put an arm around his shoulder –Prompto shivered- and snapped his fingers while he led the blonde away from the battlefield.

The MTs who had been waiting in silence suddenly moved, quicker than a lightning, drew their weapons and mercilessly attacked the Crownsguards. Prompto immediately turned around, staring in horror as his men fell one by one.

"Sorry, Damian. Simply a mere precaution" Verstael said amiably, before grabbing his gun and hitting the blonde on the back of his head, causing him to fall unconscious.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Prompto wakes up in Gralea once more. Shortly after his arrival, he will be forced to endure what Verstael had in store for him all along...**


	5. Sliding Into Darkness

**Sorry to say I won't be able to post a new chapter tomorrow. I've got a night flight to Greece, and I will be away all day tomorrow and will be back on Sunday at dawn. I suppose I will use most of the day to sleep and then come back home on the first available flight, so I guess I can try and update on Sunday evening. Sowwieeee**

* * *

Iris couldn't explain why, but the MTs had suddenly started to retreat and their ships abandon the city. She stared wide-eyed as the enemies left Insomnia despite their numerical advantage.

Her men were cheering triumphantly to celebrate their victory, others went to assist those in need. There was indeed a lot of cleaning up to be done, as bodies lay everywhere.

The city had fallen silent: they couldn't hear any sound which could signal a battle was still being fought somewhere. Iris remembered she was supposed to meet up with the others and report, so she ordered her troop to gather the injured ones and head back to the Citadel.

She proceeded alone to the city center, to the meeting point Noctis and Cor had chosen before the battle.

Ignis, Gladio, the King, Luna and Cor were already there, speaking to each other.

"Iris!" Gladio ran towards her with a relieved smile "You did it, sis!"

"Yeah" she smiled back. She was finally starting to feel the pain burning more and more now that she wasn't focused on fighting, but she gritted her teeth and pretended she was fine.

Noctis smiled warmly at her, but she could tell he was very worried.

"Prompto hasn't reported yet" he said in a low tone "Have you seen him?"

Iris shook her head and Noctis lowered his.

"I'm sure he's fine, love" Luna told him sweetly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"But he should have been here by now. The enemies left ages ago" Cor retorted with a frown "I say we go and check".

Iris didn't have a good feeling, somehow. Prompto never left his friends hanging, especially when it was something this important. She was starting to fear something bad had happened to him.

"None of his men reported back, either. If he had fallen in battle, we should have known by now. Unless all of them…" Cor stopped abruptly when he saw Noctis's expression.

"He's fine" the King said firmly "He's a tough one. He's been through worse".

Iris hoped with all her heart he was right. However, when they arrived at the district Prompto had been assigned, they were met with a horrible sight: all of his Crownsguards lay on the floor in a pool of blood and a look of pure terror on their faces. They had been slaughtered in such a barbaric and ferocious way that it was impossible to think any human being was capable of such a thing.

"Oh gods…" Noctis whispered desperately, taking some tentative steps towards the battlefield.

"Noct, wait!" Gladio grabbed his arm "It might be a trap".

Gladio and Cor advanced first through the sea of bodies, staring in disbelief and shock at their fellow soldiers.

"What the hell happened here?" Cor muttered to himself. Never in his life had he seen something like that before.

"And where's Prompto? I don't see him anywhere" Gladio said while trying to locate his friend.

Iris bit her lower lip and tried to imagine what had happened mere moments before. She could see fallen MTs too among the dead Crownsguards, many MTs actually. Which meant there had indeed been a battle between the two factions. Then something must have happened between the battle and the Empire's retreat which had led to the death of a whole troop of Crownsguards and Prompto's disappearance.

"Do you guys think he's been kidnapped or something?" Noctis asked his friends.

"That may be" Ignis nodded after placing a fist under his chin as he pondered the situation.

"Or not" Cor frowned while examining the scene in front of him "Our Crownsguards have been slaughtered one by one. Prompto would have preferred to die than falling in the hands of the enemies one more time".

"What are you implying, Cor?" Noctis asked staring angrily at the marshal "That Prompto went with them on his own accord?"

"We can't and shouldn't rule this possibility out" the marshal answered coolly "Don't get me wrong. I like that kid and think he's come a long way since he started as a Crownsguard, but we must remember that he is indeed born an MT".

"How can you say such a thing?!" Iris exclaimed indignant "Prompto's one of us!"

"Right!" Gladio, Noctis and Ignis nodded in agreement.

"I want to believe his innocence too. Trust me. But it doesn't seem to me there are any signs of a struggle from Prompto's side. All of his men are dead, he is gone. No messages, no threats. When Ardyn took him to Zegnautus Keep, he had indeed left some hints behind" Cor explained.

Iris lowered her head and thought: could Prompto really have betrayed them, as she had told him before the battle? She wouldn't believe that. She simply couldn't. She knew Prompto and, despite him being a total jerk at times, his heart was good and kind.

Or had he simply been a very good actor all along?

* * *

When Prompto had woken up, he had found himself in a comfortable bed and in a large, well-lit room with any amenities: a desk, a window, a large TV screen, a private bathroom…

Where the hell was he? He hadn't recognized the room, and then he had remembered the events that had happened before everything had gone black. The encounter with his biological father, the MTs slaughtering his men…

When Verstael himself had entered his room with a wide smile and bringing him a tray of delicious looking food, trying to converse with him, he had refused to touch the meal despite his hunger, as well as speaking to the man.

Verstael had simply patted his shoulder, given him a paternal smile and suggested he ate before he starved.

The food was still lying on his bedside table, untouched.

Prompto was now standing in front of the large window with crossed arms, staring outside at the dull, rocky landscape. He guessed he had been taken to Gralea, the Empire's capital. Again. He was pondering the possibility to escape from the window, but his room was too high up and he wouldn't survive the fall. And he didn't see any ledges where he could hold onto.

What did Verstael expect from him anyway? That he suddenly joined the Empire's cause and willingly went to fight his own friends and family? As he had made clear before, he'd rather die.

When the sun began setting behind the mountains, the door to his room opened again, and Verstael stepped inside.

"You haven't eaten anything" he said, glancing at the tray of food "It won't do you any good to refuse to eat".

"What do you want, anyway?" Prompto interrupted him.

"I am your father, Damian. And even if we never spent any time together, you're still my son. And I have great plans for you and your future".

"By forcing me to turn against my friends? And my family? 'Cause yeah, you may be my biological father, but you mean nothing to me. The only family I know and I have lives in Insomnia. I don't belong here" Prompto replied, trying to sound as cool as possible despite his fear.

Verstael sent him a glacial look before speaking "I am not giving you a choice here, Damian".

"It's Prompto" the blonde turned around to glance at the white-haired man with a determined expression.

Verstael stared back for a while and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed it again and turned to leave.

Prompto frowned as he sat on the comfortable bed, waiting for the Empire's next move.

He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep until something or someone burst into his room in the middle of the night and grabbed him by the arms and the legs, dragging him out. Prompto tried to fight back, wriggling and writhing but the MTs proceeded ruthlessly.

They brought him to a large, dimly-lit room which looked a lot like a surgery room. There was a large stretcher in the middle of the chamber, right under the neon spotlights on the ceiling, and all around him were medical tools, tubes and machines he had never seen before.

The MTs left locking the room behind themselves as he stood up and looked around for an escape route.

There was another door at the other side of the room, and he went to approach it. The door, however, opened before he could reach it, revealing Verstael himself dressed in a surgeon outfit.

"Good to see you made it, Damian" Verstael spoke from behind the mask which was covering his mouth, while he proceeded to put some latex gloves on.

"The hell is this all about?" Prompto asked, unable to subside the fear in his voice.

"Oh don't worry about that, it'll hurt just a bit. Well, I must say this is purely experimental now. All of our MTs go through this process when they are babies, and eighty percent of them survives. However, you are the first adult to receive the treatment, and we can only guess the result of this experiment" Verstael answered calmly "But you're strong, Damian, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you".

"What're you talkin' about? I'm not letting you touch me!" Prompto yelled as he made a run for the exit. The door was incredibly heavy, and even trying his best wasn't enough to budge it.

Verstael clicked his tongue as he calmly prepared the tools he needed.

"Relax, Damian. It will take a few minutes, and it'll be less painful if you cooperate".

"Cooperate? What do you have in mind?" Prompto was genuinely scared now. Not for his life, but because he thought he knew what Verstael wanted to do with him. He wanted to turn him into an obedient machine, the MT he was always meant to be.

"Be a good boy and come here, Damian" Verstael ignored his questions and pointed at the stretcher.

Prompto refused to move from his spot, staring defiantly at the white-haired man. Verstael simply rolled his eyes as he spoke again "Don't make me use brute force on you, son".

"The only way you can put me on that stretcher is by killing me" Prompto retorted coolly, lifting his chin.

"Or like this" Verstael lazily snapped his fingers and six more MTs burst into the room and grabbed Prompto once more before the blonde could even have the time to react.

They dragged him to the middle of the room and under the lights, lifting him easily and placing him on the stretcher. Verstael proceeded to restrain him as the MTs pinned the young man down.

Prompto was really trying his best to break free, fighting back the machines' force by kicking and squirming, but they were too many and too strong and he was eventually left lying on the stretcher, unable to move as the straps blocked his attempts to escape.

Verstael dismissed the MTs while he calmly used a tourniquet on Prompto's right arm to reveal the vein underneath. Prompto couldn't see what was going on because he couldn't move his head, but he soon felt something pinching the spot above his elbow as Verstael returned into his line of sight holding a strange-looking object that Prompto couldn't name. The white-haired man fumbled with the item and his arm and for a few moments Prompto didn't feel anything. Soon enough, however, the young man screamed from the top of his lungs as an intense pain filled all his senses. It was indescribable, a pain so great he couldn't even remember who he was anymore as his mind went completely blank, registering only the burning ache.

When he thought his body couldn't take it anymore, he slowly started closing his eyelids to welcome his death. He made sure to use his last energies to remember the faces of the people he loved: his parents, his best friends, Iris...

It ended as suddenly as it had started. Prompto's throat ached after all the screaming and his body felt weak and tired, but he was still alive. Verstael had already started to remove the straps from around his arms, legs and head, humming in the process as if he hadn't almost killed his own son.

"Stand up" the man commanded lazily. Prompto's body was aching so badly but, to his horror, his limbs were moving automatically as he stood up and faced Verstael, who was smirking slyly.

"Now kneel before me" he ordered again.

Prompto's eyes widened in shock as he felt his knees buckle until they touched the sheet vinyl floor. Every part of him was screaming with pain, but the blonde couldn't stop his body from following the other man's orders.

"And now, I want you say 'My name is Damian Xanthus, son of Verstael Besithia, Lieutenant General of the Imperial Army, born in Gralea to enslave Lucis'" Verstael was still smirking down at him as he waited. Prompto felt his lips part automatically but tried his best to fight the words that were so desperately trying to come out.

"M-my name… is D-D-Damian Xanthus, son of V-Verstael Besithia… L-Lieutenant General of the I-Imperial Army… b-b-born in Gralea to… enslave… L-Lucis" he stuttered through gritted teeth.

"We need to work a bit on the speed, young man, but you're getting there" Verstael smiled at him paternally as he gestured for him to stand up. Prompto hated himself for following his orders like a puppy, without having the chance to fight back. It was scary, so scary to think Verstael could now make him do whatever he liked…

"You did good, son. Now go to bed and get some rest" Verstael patted his shoulder, and Prompto felt his head bow in acceptance and leave the room. He was completely alone in the dim-lit corridor, no MTs in sight. Emergency exit doors were at the end of the hallway, and something crossed his mind as he thought he could easily run for the doors and escape back to Insomnia. However, the command from his brain never reached his limbs, as they kept carrying him to his room.

Prompto opened the door and closed it behind himself, lying in bed despite not being sleepy at all and staring in horror at the ceiling above him.

What the hell was he going to do now?

* * *

 **Aww, poor Prompto's in deep trouble :/ A lot happens in next chapter, so make sure to tune in :D**

 **By the way, a little trivia about how I came up with Prompto's original name: Damian is Greek for "tamer" because Verstael wants to use him to enslave Lucis, while Xanthus is of Greek origins, but Latin for "yellow" because of the color of his hair. I like to imagine that Prompto's fair skin and hair/eye color are very peculiar among Imperials, who instead tend to be darker :) Just something I wanted to share ^^**

 **Next Chapter: Verstael explains some things to Prompto, as well as revealing some facts about his biological mother. When the Empire finally attack, Prompto is forced to fight his own friends. Will he successfully break free from Verstael's spell, or will he be Insomnia's downfall?**


	6. Friends or Foes Part I

**I'm back home! T_T What a day...or night. I don't even know anymore xD Aaaanyway, new chap folks! :D  
Trigger warning everyone: though absolutely not explicit, in this chapter it is mentioned an episode of rape. Which is another reason why the rating has been upgraded to M. Just so you know...**

* * *

Prompto thought that was the end of him this time. Verstael treated him like a prince, taking good care of his health, his training as an MT, making sure he ate, drank and slept enough.

During the following months spent at the Imperial base, his life was the same routine over and over again: wake up, eat, train, shower, sleep. Every day.

Prompto hated it. He hated how he couldn't refrain his body from following Verstael's commands in the training room, where he was forced to fight against other MTs. His training was a tough one, often fighting alone against hordes of enemies. But fighting alongside Noctis and the others had made him stronger than ever, and he always managed to complete his training sessions with only superficial wounds.

Verstael would smile proudly at him as he patted his shoulder as he always did when he was satisfied, before allowing him to rest.

"You will soon be ready to take over Insomnia, Damian" he always told him. Prompto wouldn't answer anything.

When he was alone in his room, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, he often tried to gain control over his body again. Why was it so difficult to make for the exit door and leave that infernal place behind? No one ever guarded the door, no one ever guarded _him_. And yet, despite the commands given to his body, this would refuse to move unless specifically ordered by Verstael.

That evening, after his usual training session, Prompto promised himself that he would take control over his body again, one way or another.

And so, once back in his room, as he kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling, the blonde focused as hard as he could. He stood up and walked towards the door. It took him a lot of effort but he did it. He then opened it. So far so good. He glanced to the left and to the right in the dark hallway, making sure no one was coming, before continuing to the exit doors in front of him. He stopped in front of it, staring at the handle. A simple, normal handle. No card reader. No alarm. Nothing. It almost felt like the door itself was nothing but a way to test the MTs, to see if they still possessed some will. Prompto swallowed hard and told himself he had plenty. Focusing on Iris's face as well as those of his three best friends, he placed one hand on the handle. He was sweating cold, his hand shaking. Prompto tried as hard as he could to turn the handle, which should have been a simple operation that he had repeated so many times before. And yet, in that moment, it felt like the most difficult thing he'd ever done. He gritted his teeth as he squeezed the handle tighter, but unable to actually turn it.

Prompto dropped his shaking hand and kicked the door with all the strength he got in his right leg, only to end up feeling a sharp pain shooting through his foot.

"Goddammit!" he cried out, punching the wall beside the door "What the hell happened to me?"

"It is quite simple, actually".

Prompto turned to look at Verstael, who seemed to have been watching his struggle all along. He was standing in the dark hallway, his arms behind his back and a smile on his face.

"You see, all I needed to do was injecting Daemon essence into the arm where your barcode was printed. The contact triggers a chemical reaction which alters your genetic code. And now you're an MT obediently following my orders, though with still some residual will. That, however, I expected, what with you being a fully-grown specimen and not an infant. But don't you worry, my child, for that will soon be gone too. You will become an empty shell at my mercy" Verstael spoke softly, almost kindly as Prompto learned the horrible truth. The blonde felt a shiver run down his spine as he heard the other man speak of all the people he had turned into MTs as specimens, as if they weren't human at all...

"I won't become one of those things" he retorted defiantly.

"Oh but you will. And I'll tell you more: you will erase your dear King Noctis, your friends, your family as well as your pathetic girlfriend from your mind once and for all when the conversion process is complete" Verstael gave him a wide smile.

Prompto laughed bitterly at the man's words, causing him to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

"And you call yourself my father. Is this the great plan you had in mind for your dear son?" Prompto asked him angrily.

"Damian, m'boy. You must understand that I have created you for a reason, and that is to help me rule over Eos. I certainly didn't become a father simply because I wished so. Quite the contrary, actually. After all, I've never really been the affectionate type of person, or I wouldn't have turned your mother into a Daemon for an experiment".

Prompto was so shocked at this revelation that he actually gasped, staring at the man wide-eyed.

"M-my mother?" he asked.

"Yes, your poor mother was a young, pretty girl from the countryside outside Gralea. Her only mistake was trusting me. Her parents were both ill and could therefore no longer work to earn any money, so I promised her I could offer her a job here in Gralea. She followed me like a lost puppy, and I… well, let's just say I took advantage of her stupidity and innocence. However, she did make me very happy when I discovered she was with child: my son, the key to conquering Insomnia" Verstael took a pause to glance at Prompto before continuing "You look a lot like her. You've got her eyes, the same fair skin, even the freckles on your face remind me of her".

"You're one hell of a bastard, you know that?" Prompto hadn't even realized he was shaking uncontrollably with anger until he started speaking. Verstael's tale was absolutely terrifying, especially considering the calm tone he was using.

"Now, Damian. What would your mother say if she heard you use such terrible words? Of course, she can't really say anything anymore, but still…" Verstael said in a mocking tone, pretending to be offended.

Prompto had had enough: he shot forward, determined to tear the man apart piece by piece with his bare hands.

"Stay right where you are" the white-haired man ordered calmly, without even taking a step back.

Prompto froze in his tracks. What the hell was he doing? This was his chance to get his revenge and head back home! Instead, his body came to a halt...

"Good boy" Verstael smiled paternally "Now, since you're such an obedient child, I have decided to reward you by taking you back to Insomnia tomorrow".

Prompto stiffened up as he listened. He doubted he was going to like the rest of what Verstael was about to say.

"You will be able to see your friend Noctis, your adoptive family, your friends and that pretty Iris girl. Aren't I an attentive father? Because I do care about you, Damian dear" Verstael continued with a sly smirk "So go to bed, son. We're leaving early, and you will need all the sleep you can get".

Verstael waved a hand dismissively at him, watching him turn around and head back to his room.

* * *

Prompto had been ordered to wear a special Imperial uniform made just for him. He thought it didn't look too different from the Kingsglaive one, but this one was longer and a dark grey color with the red Imperial symbols sewn on the hems of his coat. Verstael had also given him his brand new weapon, a semi-automatic rifle with laser red dot.

Verstael smiled at him before guiding him to a large, flying ship.

"After you, son" he said, signaling him to get on board first. Prompto stepped onto the ramp and climbed up until he reached the interior of the ship. Verstael joined shortly after, taking a seat beside him.

In a matter of seconds, the huge metal door closed and the ship was ready to start its course towards Insomnia.

"And now, Damian" Verstael said soothingly "I want you to do something for me".

Prompto had been waiting for this. He knew their little trip to Insomnia couldn't be a peaceful one, just for the blonde to be reunited with his friends. Of course Verstael had something in mind.

"Once we arrive in Insomnia and you'll be met with your dear friends, I want you to give them a message. Tell them your real name, that you've been secretly conspiring against King Noctis with the Empire, planned the attack on the city before mercilessly slaughtering your own soldiers and returning home to Gralea. Then, I want you to declare an official attack on the Crown City. Start a battle, I want you to strike with all your might; I want you to keep fighting alongside the troops I will be sending even if you're injured or on the brink of death. For today, you'll all die for a greater cause: earning your father the throne".

Prompto listened in horror as Verstael told him what to do, and was forced to listen to his own voice repeating the terrible words spoken by his biological father. How ironic to think that his so-called father would gladly sacrifice his own son to become the undisputed ruler.

"Make me proud, son. I know you won't let me down" Verstael put one hand on Prompto's shoulder and gave him a paternal smile. Prompto shivered as he tried as hard as he could to focus on gaining control of his own body and his own actions. He couldn't betray Noctis and the others. He couldn't let Verstael take over the throne.

His heart started hammering when an MT official announced they had started their descent towards Insomnia. Without the Crystal to protect the city, Noctis couldn't deny their landing within his territory.

The door opened when they were a few hundreds feet above the city as they descended slowly to a wide opening just outside Insomnia. Prompto watched in silence as they approached their destination, which was becoming more and more detailed the more they descended. He could discern the contours of the smaller houses, the different shops and restaurants, the park where he always used to stop by to take pictures, his elementary school…

In other circumstances, he would have loved to take a shot of the city from that height. Gods, how long had it been since he had even touched his camera? It felt like forever ago now.

They finally landed just outside the city gates and Prompto could hear the city sirens to alert the citizens to run to their assigned shelters.

"Go, Damian" Verstael smiled at him "Fight valiantly until the King has fallen".

Prompto sent him a look of pure hatred as he turned around and marched towards the city gates. He stopped to turn around when he heard the sound of the ship which had carried him there turn its engine on and hover over him, before disappearing into the clouds. He was alone for now, until more ships came on the rescue.

Prompto chuckled bitterly as he finally understood what Verstael's plan had really been all along: Prompto would be dropped off by the city entrance, luring Noctis and the others to believe he had been freed by the Empire, letting him in. At that point, Prompto would have gained access to the city, allowing the Imperial attack on it while the others were distracted. Freaking awesome.

"Identify yourself!" a guard from the other side of the robust gates ordered. Prompto remained silent, even if his brain was screaming for him to fight against the spell that had trapped him, to break free and run to tell Noctis what was about to happen.

"Outta the way! Prompto!"

Prompto's heart ached as he heard Gladio's voice and then the sound of more voices.

"Wait, it might be a trap!"

"I don't care, Cor! Let him in!"

Prompto swallowed nervously as he heard the sound of the gates being unlocked. He immediately recognized the worried faces of all his friends: Noctis, standing in the middle, Gladio on his left side, Ignis on the right and Cor right behind the King. Cor looked livid.

"Prompto!" Noctis cried as he ran towards his friend and did something he had never done before: he hugged him.

"Noct…" Ignis said. Prompto didn't miss the alarm in his voice.

"Your Highness, you might wanna take a better look at your 'friend'" Cor warned with a look of disdain on his face.

Noctis stepped back and stared at Prompto's impassive face, then at the garbs he was wearing. Prompto's heart broke when he saw the look of hurt and betrayal on his best friend's face. Even though he couldn't fight the words he was about to say, he still wished he could somehow convey his real emotions through his body language. But that seemed to be failing him too.

"Prom…?" Noctis asked tentatively. He looked terrified. Just as Prompto thought things couldn't get any worse, Iris made her entrance, running towards the rest of the group.

"What's going on? I got your message, Gladdy and…" she stopped abruptly when she locked eyes with Prompto. She almost dropped her jaws when she noticed his outfit.

"My name" Prompto heard the words escaping his mouth uncontrollably, frowning at how void and emotionless they sounded "is Damian Xanthus Besithia, son of Verstael Besithia of Gralea, and Lieutenant General of the Imperial Army. My father and I have plotted an attack on the city of Insomnia, and got rid of some of your Crownsguards in between".

"What the hell are you talking about, Prompto?" Noctis whispered wide-eyed. He was absolutely shocked at his best friend's words. Prompto swallowed once more when he quickly scanned the others' faces: Cor was looking at him with pure hatred but didn't seem too surprised, Ignis and Gladio were just as shocked as Noctis. But what really destroyed him was locking eyes with Iris: he had expected shock, hurt, horror, but nothing could prepare him for what he actually read on her face: betrayal. Hate. Disgust.

Prompto could hear the sound of more approaching airships and understood that it was time. He grabbed his rifle and pointed it against his best friend. "This is your downfall, Noctis Lucis Caelum".

All happened incredibly quickly: Prompto pulled the trigger; Gladio jumped in front of a paralyzed Noctis; Ignis, Cor and Iris summoned their own weapons; the Crownsguard army was marching towards the city gates, and the Imperial ships landed behind him to reveal hundreds of MTs.

To Prompto's relief, Gladio had conjured his massive shield just in time to block his bullets, protecting both himself and the King. He watched as the muscular Kingsglaive dragged Noctis away from danger, as Cor and the others led the Crownsguards into battle.

Prompto was immediately faced with Cor the Immortal himself, who was swinging his long katana at him, his fighting skills deadly as ever despite his age, and clearly intentioned to kill him. Prompto was fast and agile, however, and managed to dodge his attacks just as the MTs and the Crownsguards clashed in the middle of the battlefield.

Prompto lost sight of his opponent as he advanced in the crowd to locate Noctis. His heart was bleeding at the thought of what he had just done, as well as knowing that he didn't possess enough strength to break the spell his own father had used on him. He loathed himself for being so weak, and genuinely hoped Cor would find him and put an end to his miserable life once and for all.

He finally saw the familiar spiky, dark hair that belonged to Noctis and ran forward to reach him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Prompto's head shot to the left and met Iris's hazel eyes, so unnaturally filled with hate and disdain.

They briefly stared at each other before the girl aimed her bow at him and shot an arrow. Prompto swiftly dodged it and lifted his rifle.

His brain was screaming desperately to lower the weapon immediately, that he had caused enough damage already and Prompto found himself fighting against his mind and his body at the same time. His fingers were automatically tightening around the trigger, ready to squeeze it as every single brain cell was trying to force-stop his hand from doing the irreparable, as the memory of them two training together in Altissia all those years ago when Iris had gotten her bow, Prompto was positively shocked when he realized he had managed to refrain himself from pulling the trigger, but his hesitation cost him. Iris had wasted no time and took advantage of his moment of distraction as she shot an arrow at him, piercing his right shoulder. Pain shot through his arm as he cried out and wrapped a hand around the metal object. He wheezed as he extracted the arrow from his flesh, as blood streamed down under his sleeve. Prompto's new instincts ordered him to shoot the girl in front of him, but he refused to obey, focusing solely on the pain. He realized that doing so helped him ignore the commands being shouted at him by an invisible voice.

"Fight back, you bastard!" Iris yelled at him, striding towards him and slapping him hard in the face. And again. And again. Prompto felt a stinging pain in his cheek now, but still wouldn't comply. He was too busy staring at Iris, as tears escaped her eyes and wet her cheeks. She kept hitting him, though weaker and weaker, until she dropped her fists and buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

Prompto had forgotten the pain he felt in his shoulder, pushed away the angry orders his body was shouting at him and wrapped his good arm around the girl's shoulders as his hand rested on the back of her head, almost as if shielding her from the roaring battle being fought all around them.

"I'm sorry" he whispered in her ear "I'm sorry..."

It was overwhelming and exceptional to think that tiny girl had the power to suppress his new killing instincts.

"Get your hands off her, you son of a bitch!"

Prompto barely had time to register the words being yelled at him, as he saw Gladio's tall figure charging at him. He was forced to let go of the girl to dodge the attack, but stumbled upon a fallen soldier and found himself lying on the ground.

"You're dead meat!" Gladio cried out as he lifted his greatsword to strike.

"No, Gladio!" Iris screamed, as Prompto aimed his rifle at the man towering over him. The blonde was much faster as he pulled the trigger and heard the unmistakable sound of bullets penetrating flesh.

Gladio grunted as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, motionless.

Prompto was staring in horror at Gladio's limp figure, before glancing at Iris. The girl's face was an emotionless mask as she stared back at him.

It felt almost comical to be sitting on the floor, waiting for a reaction from her as machines and humans fought all around them.

"Damian!"

Prompto snapped his head to his left to look at Verstael approaching him, escorted by a whole troop of MTs.

"What're you doing? Get up and kill the King!" he ordered fiercely. Prompto felt his legs standing up automatically and his eyes went to scan the battlefield, searching for Noctis.

When he had located him, bravely fighting alongside Ignis and Cor, he began stepping forward but a grunt made him freeze. Gladio was slowly moving from where he had fallen.

"Damn you, Prompto!" the large man mumbled, wincing in pain as he wrapped one arm around his abdomen. Prompto frowned as he wondered how the heck he had managed to survive, but he couldn't deny he was extremely relieved to see his friend was alive. Iris immediately shot forward to kneel beside her brother, checking if he needed assistance.

"It's ok, Ir" Gladio muttered "Thank the Six we have our bulletproof vests".

"Damian! Get a move!" Verstael yelled at the blonde, who jerked slightly. His body was moving on its own accord, but his brain kept asking " _why?"_ and Prompto realized that he didn't know. He didn't know why he was supposed to follow that stupid order; it didn't make sense because he didn't want to _get a damn move_. He wanted to stay right where he was, with Gladio and Iris, and fight by their side, not against them.

"No" Prompto said simply, turning to face the white-haired man.

"What?" he asked, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"My name" Prompto continued calmly "is Prompto Argentum, citizen of Insomnia and faithful servant of the one and only King of Light. And you are nothing but scum".

Verstael stared in shock at his rebelling son, before wearing a calm yet murderous expression.

"Very well" he stated "I guess my little experiment wasn't that successful after all. You leave me no choice, Damian".

Verstael snapped his fingers as the entire troop aimed their rifles at him. Prompto knew that was the end of it all, that he would die. But he was happy, for he would die a Lucian and a free man.

He stared right ahead of him, without ever blinking as he faced his own demise. He watched as the MTs pulled the triggers and, almost as if in slow-motion, the bullets traveling towards him.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUN! D:**

 **Btw! I made a drawing of Prompto wearing the Imperial garbs :D I'm no professional artist or anything, quite the contrary. But it would mean the world to me if you checked it out: you can find the link in my profile! Just please, let me know if you can see the link, as FF is trying its best to remove it x)**

 **Next Chapter: a shorter chapter, where Prompto receives help from an unexpected ally, and the fight between Insomnia and the Empire continues...**


	7. Friends or Foes Part II

**Much shorter chapter, again :/ I could have merged this chapter with the previous one, but I thought it would be nice to leave you hanging a little xD And as I said, I don't want to rush it, because I know I'm gonna be super sad when this story is over T_T Anyway, eeenjoy! :D**

 **P.S. I profusely apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes you may have found/find: I mostly write at night after work, plus English is not my first language &_& should've said it earlier, but better late than never :**

* * *

Prompto instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for the bullets to pierce his body. Even though Daemon blood ran through his veins, he doubted it would be enough to survive hundreds of bullets.

He didn't regret anything, but was worried for his friends. Would they be able to defeat Verstael and his soldiers? It was, after all, all his fault if they were in battle in the first place. His weakness had lured them outside the city, where they were fighting against thousands of enemies while they were on their own.

He thought of every single one of them, of his parents and how hurt they must be when they would hear it was indeed him, Prompto, who had caused the fall of Insomnia. And then he thought of Iris once more, how fiercely she had hit him and how insanely good it had felt to have her in his arms one last time…

Why was it taking so long to die? Why couldn't he feel any pain?

He opened his eyes and found himself standing right where he had been moments before, the bullets frozen mid-air as Verstael watched in horror. Everything was silent, too silent compared to the clashing sound of melee weapons and the explosions audible mere seconds before.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on a spot somewhere behind Prompto's shoulders, and he too turned around to see what was happening.

Lady Lunafreya was standing alone at the city gates, holding the trident Noctis had handed back to her when they were both allowed to return to the world of the living, and focused on keeping the shield -which separated Prompto, Iris and Gladio from Verstael and his troops- intact.

"Move, move!" Prompto ordered, grabbing Iris's wrist with one hand and helping Gladio stand with the other. The large man gave him a strange look but didn't reject him either, allowing him to guide both him and his sister away from danger. When Luna had made sure they had put enough distance between them and the MTs, she finally lifted the spell, as the frozen bullets shot forward, hitting nothing but concrete and rocks.

"Luna!" Prompto smiled gratefully at the delicate girl as he stepped towards her, but Noctis immediately stood in his way.

"You're not getting any closer" the King said coolly. It hurt to be stared at like that by his best friend, like nothing but a traitor that deserved a death sentence, but Prompto knew he had messed up big time, and that it would probably be a while before they would speak to him again. _If_ they ever would.

"Luna, get back to the Citadel!" Noctis was now speaking to his bride, but she shook her head.

"No, Noct. I'm staying" she said resolutely. Noctis glanced once more at Prompto with a furious expression.

"If anything happens to her…" he warned dangerously.

Prompto nodded as the battle commenced once more. The battlefield outside the city was a mess of fallen bodies as well as humans against machines. Prompto was secretly happy that Noctis's sacrifice had ultimately wiped Daemons away from Eos, because he was sure they would already be dead by now had the creatures of the night been still around.

He didn't wait for the others to take the initiative as he always did back in the days. Instead, he summoned his rifle and ran back in the crowd, shooting at any MTs that stood in his way. He was relentlessly looking for Verstael, but it felt impossible to find him in that sea of chaos.

Prompto was pretty sure he had walked the perimeter a couple of times now, without luck. Verstael seemed to have vanished into thin air. Or maybe he was hiding among the other MTs.

"Prompto".

The gunslinger turned when he heard the sound of his name –his real name, he thought- and saw Lady Lunafreya was staring warmly at him.

"Luna…" he whispered. She didn't seem to be wary of him, and approached him fearlessly.

"I need your help, Prompto" she said with her soothing voice "And you must do as I say without discussions".

"I'd do anything for you, guys" Prompto nodded, eager to prove himself worthy of their trust. She smiled again.

"I knew I could count on you. Though I doubt you will like my plan" she continued before glancing at Noctis who was fighting alongside Cor several feet away.

"You must approach Noctis, and fight against him" she said calmly. Prompto stared at her in confusion, and she held up one hand to prevent him from asking questions.

"It's not going to be easy for you, Prompto, but I am confident you will make it. Once you start fighting Noctis, I will make sure the others will not stand in your way. You must not hold back and give your very best".

"What're you talking about?" Prompto interrupted her "I'm not gonna fight my best friend! I've caused enough troubles today".

Luna closed her eyes and nodded. "I understand how you feel, Prompto. But rest assure I have a plan. Make your fight look as believable as possible so that, when Verstael thinks he has won his son back, you can strike and defeat him once and for all".

Prompto lifted his chin, understanding what she had in mind. She wanted him to play the part of the traitor in order to fool Verstael into believing he had successfully turned him into an MT, despite his little moment of rebelliousness. Once he believed to be moments away from victory, he would fall once and for all.

"We will take care of the MTs" she continued "Please, be careful Prompto. You're our only hope".

Prompto thought it was funny he was their last hope when he had actually started it all, but would do anything to repair the damaged he had done.

He glanced at Noctis, who was now making his way through the crowd as Cor went the opposite way. That was his chance.

Prompto sped up to keep up with the King, who hadn't yet noticed him. Once he was close enough, he called his name.

"Hey, _Your Majesty_ ".

The King turned around to face him and they stared at each other for several seconds.

"I'm sorry, buddy" Prompto whispered so low he was sure Noctis hadn't heard a single word, before pointing his rifle at him. Noctis's eyes flashed with anger and betrayal as he tightened the grip around his own sword.

"I'd never thought it would end like this. And to think you've been such a good actor for so many years" Noctis spat, eying his former best friend with a murderous look "You were nothing but a traitor, _Damian_ ".

Prompto frowned at his words but didn't let his distress show. His feelings didn't mean anything at the moment for he had made a promise, and he always kept them.

"Enough talking" the gunslinger said coolly "Let's just end this".

"Can't believe you had to become one of them to finally learn to say something sensible" Noctis mocked him.

Prompto fired away as his heart broke for the umpteenth time that day, and Noctis teleported behind him. The King hit him right between his scapula, and Prompto fell hard to the ground, gasping to catch some breath. Noctis then grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and turned his body so the blonde was now facing him. Prompto watched his best friend lift his arm and punch him in the face, over and over again. For some reason, the gunslinger couldn't feel the pain but knew he was bleeding badly when he noticed the red stains on the ground he was lying on. Noctis stopped to catch his breath, panting loudly as Prompto crawled onto the floor to get away from the furious king. When he kicked him in the stomach, the blonde doubled over, growling in pain.

"You bastard!" Noctis shouted, trying to refrain the tears from escaping his eyes, while repeatedly hitting the defenseless young man at his feet "You were my best friend!"

Suddenly it was over. Noctis was no longer beating him but had fallen onto his knees as tears ran down his face. Prompto wiped away the blood from his face and tried to clear his vision. He stood up, stumbling as he did so, before steadying himself and summoning the courage to counterattack.

He took advantage of the King's state to strike, punching him on his left cheek. He had dropped his rifle when Noctis had struck him, and was now counting exclusively on his bare hands. Prompto made sure he was hurting every inch of his best friend's body, as the other tried to defend himself. Noctis managed to interject one of his fists and punched him back in the guts. The two were now a bloody mess and barely had any energy left to fight. But Prompto ignored the pain and the blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Noctis was barely hanging on, his legs shaking and he stood silently for a few seconds before summoning his sword again.

"Guess… I have… no choice" he panted, holding the sword with both hands as if the weight were unbearable. Prompto stood right where he was, waiting for him to strike. The King lifted his weapon as one last tear escaped his eyes but Prompto was quicker: he closed the distance between himself and the King, punching him in the ribs and Noctis dropped his sword as his eyes unfocused. Prompto watched his friend fall to his knees, his majestic sword lying in the dust and then he heard someone clapping their hands.

"Well done, my boy. I knew you wouldn't let me down that easily" Verstael approached the two young men and placed one hand on his son's shoulder. "Let me take over from here, OK?"

Prompto swallowed as he desperately tried to locate Luna or Ignis among the crowd. What was he supposed to do now? To his horror, he realized Verstael was holding his rifle, the one he had dropped during his fight against Noct. As the white-haired man lifted it to aim at the King, Prompto suddenly got an idea.

"Father" he said, trying to sound as natural as possible. That one word was enough to make Verstael lower the weapon and look at the young man beside him.

"With your permission, I would like to be the one doing it" the gunslinger continued. Verstael seemed to ponder the request for a moment, before grinning proudly and handing the rifle to the younger man.

"Of course you may. After all, I owe it all to you" he said.

Prompto took the rifle and aimed it at Noctis, looking straight into his hollow eyes as he did it.

Everything happened very quickly as he heard several people screaming Noctis's name and saw someone rushing towards them. Verstael looked up, distracted by the sudden commotion and Prompto quickly changed target, aiming the rifle at the older man's temple. He pulled the trigger without a second thought and heard the cracking noise of bullets being fired, then the thump of a body hitting the floor.

Everything stopped all around him. The MTs ceased their fire instantly, as if sensing their leader was gone and had no one to receive orders from; Iris, Gladio and Cor were staring bewildered at the limp body lying at Prompto's feet, the gunslinger's eyes fixed on the corpse of his father as if expecting him to stand back up on his feet at any time, just like a tough boss from videogames; Noctis was still kneeling down, unable to understand what had just happened; Ignis and Luna were walking confidently towards them.

The spectacled man went to Noctis's side and quickly grabbed a small first-aid kit to attend to his wounds while Luna stood between Prompto and the others, as if to shield the gunslinger.

The Crownsguards were all glancing at their brothers in arms in confusion, wondering why their enemies had suddenly stopped fighting.

"Let's head back to the Citadel" Luna announced "The war is over".

* * *

 **Honestly guys, I just know Prompto will have to face his own father in his DLC D: And Robbie Daymond, Prompto's English VA, made kinda clear that the DLC is gonna be heartbreaking. OMG, can't wait until it's released! :O**

 **Next Chapter: the Council has to take a decision about Prompto: is he a traitor or a savior? It's up to Luna and Ignis to clear his name, as Iris decides to visit the blonde at the hospital. [Fluff alert! ^v^]**


	8. Between Heaven and Hell

The Crownsguards received the order to split into two groups: the first would be assisting their injured companions on the battlefield, the second would be escorting the citizens back to the now safe city. The news of their victory had spread across Eos quicker than light, and every channel spoke nothing but of the end of the war against the Empire. The MTs had simply stopped functioning now that the Empire's last leader had fallen, but the Royal Council thought they were not the priority at the moment. Their concern was the King's health as well as taking a decision regarding a certain High Commander of the Kingsglaives that had betrayed them all.

Prompto had been escorted to Insomnia Royal Hospital and received the appropriate treatment to his wounds, which seemed to heal slightly faster than normal thanks to his new genetic code. However, he hadn't received any visits and even the doctors and the nurses assigned to him seemed to avoid his presence whenever possible. The only ones that had shyly entered his room the morning after the battle were his adoptive parents.

They smiled warmly at him as they approached his bed, each sitting in a chair by him.

His mother kept staring at him worriedly, caressing his scratched cheek with wet eyes. His father, instead, decided to let Prompto get everything off his chest.

"You've always been so kind to me, mom and dad" the gunslinger smiled sadly "At times like this, I really believe I never deserved to be saved".

"Nonsense!" his father exclaimed outraged "What that Verstael did to you was despicable! It was not your fault, my child. You've been strong and brave fighting against it, and you eventually saved us all".

Prompto lowered his head, pondering his words.

"But if it's as you say" he started, unable to keep his voice steady "Why isn't anyone coming?"

His parents glanced at each other before his mother spoke. "Give them time, sweetheart. I am sure they will understand why you did it".

Prompto forced a smile on his face as his parents stood to leave. "We'll come back tomorrow" his mom reassured him "Get some rest, you deserve it".

She stroked his face once more before turning to leave. "Love you, Prompto".

"Love you too, mom and dad" he replied as he watched them close the door behind themselves.

He exhaled as he stared outside the window, watching the citizens of Insomnia roaming the busy city as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone seemed much happier now that war was finally over. He wished he could join them with the celebrations but felt like an outsider: he had been, after all, the lure that had almost meant the end of their freedom; he was the one with a bar code printed into his skin; he was the one whose blood was mixed with the one of a Daemon. And even though he had managed to fight and defeat his new instincts, he was still "the Traitor", and that's how people would always remember him. No matter what his parents told him, all Prompto could hear on the news was the name of Verstael and his son Damian Xanthus Besithia attacking the Crown City of Insomnia in their last, desperate attempt to conquer it. None of them mentioned that it was him, Prompto, that had also put an end to it all.

"Screw it all" he muttered as he shifted position in bed, ready to disconnect his brain from the tormenting thoughts that assailed him.

* * *

"We cannot trust him. What if he has killed his own father so that he could be the one taking over our city?"

"I agree. He is a Besithia, they have always been well known for being nothing but traitors and conspirators".

"Can't believe it. It's Prompto you're talking about!"

Luna closed her eyes, trying to summon her patience and sighed. Her spouse was still convalescent and could not attend their urgent meeting, which had been organized to discuss the fate of Damian Xanthus Besithia, as everyone now addressed Prompto. Of course, the King would be the one to ultimately decide in his favor or not, but the Council had a lot of influence too. It consisted of the High Commanders of the Kingsglaives, the King, herself and the royal advisors. Cor and Gladio seemed to agree Prompto was to be condemned, while herself and Ignis voted against it. Iris had remained silent all along.

"Give me just one reason why we should believe it, Iggy" Gladio retorted angrily.

"Maybe you were too distracted to realize, but Prompto was the one who killed Verstael" the spectacled man replied coolly, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Yeah, and we have already discussed that: we believe it was nothing but a planned action, so that he could fool us into believing he's innocent. Now he is free to roam around our city and strike at any time" Cor said just as coolly.

"They were in advantage, the Empire were winning the war!" Ignis remarked, raising his voice which was highly unusual of him.

"Have you considered the fact that maybe he wants the crown to himself?" Janus, one of the youngest advisors, questioned in a mocking tone.

"Silence!"

Luna's normally soft and controlled voice echoed all around the room, which instantly fell silent.

The Oracle walked to the tall windows overlooking the city. "Let me tell you once and for all why you're mistaken about Prompto".

"He's not Prompto Argentum. He's Damian Xanthus Besithia" Janus interrupted her, but immediately fell silent when the young girl gave him a warning look.

" _Prompto_ might have been converted into an MT by his own biological father, as well as attacking us yesterday, but we must not forget he successfully fought his new nature, his new instincts to help us out. And he did" Luna spoke softly now, in contrast to her thundering tone used mere moments before.

"But it might be a trap…" Gladio tried tentatively, but the Oracle shook her head.

"That is to be excluded. For, you see, it was me who asked him to attack Noctis" she confessed, earning a gasp of surprise from the others.

"You?" Cor asked suspiciously.

"Yes, me. Prompto risked everything to make my plan successful, and he did not disappoint. You see, by fooling us into believing he had ultimately turned into a killing machine…" she trailed off and looked over at Ignis.

"…He fooled Verstael into believing the same, successfully letting his defenses down before finishing him off" Ignis concluded for her.

All the presents in the room exchanged a look of surprise and shock upon hearing their confession.

"And as we sit here, accusing him of high treason, he is alone in a hospital bed, forced to be isolated from the people he saved, forced to hear he was nothing but a traitor that almost ruined us all" Luna scolded them, though her tone was not angry. "Has any of you thought about how he must have felt when he was forced to kill his own father? For yes, he was a despicable man, but his father all the same".

No one dared to speak, too ashamed to even lift their chins to look over at either Luna or Ignis.

"I suppose we should inform the King" Janus was the first to break the silence "About Mr. Argentum's innocence".

"Yes, we should" Luna smiled.

* * *

Iris was the last one to leave the meeting room, still stunned after Luna's revelation. She had never really fully believed that Prompto had suddenly turned against them, though she had to admit the guy had almost fooled her when he had almost shot Noctis. She thought her heart couldn't take any more strong emotions for a good while, because Prompto had successfully managed to make her feel angry, sad, worried, relieved and confused in less than 24 hours.

She then thought of Luna's last words, specifically when she had told them Prompto had been suffering more than any of them, forced to be isolated from everyone; forced to kill his own father... Her heart stung at the very thought of what he must have gone through while they suspected of him all along.

When she exited the Citadel, she knew exactly where she would be heading next.

Her feet automatically brought her to the Insomnia Royal Hospital, and she quickly checked in at the entrance hall to ask where Prompto's room was located.

The secretary behind the counter gave her a weird look as she checked on her computer, before informing her that the person she was looking for had been moved to the fifth floor. Iris thanked the lady and walked to the lift, feeling suddenly nervous. She hadn't really thought of what to tell him: the last time they had met, she had split his lip before sobbing uncontrollably on his shoulder.

She slowly paced the hallway on the fifth floor, reading the names on each door before stopping outside one which read "D. X. Besithia.". She frowned at the name, and mentally noted to inform the staff to replace the tag on the door.

She bit her lower lip, shifting from one foot to another before finally turning the doorknob. When she stepped inside, she realized Prompto was not alone. Mr. and Mrs. Argentum were occupying the only two chairs in the room, and seemed to have been in a deep conversation with their adopted son.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Iris stammered, immediately turning around to leave, but Mr. Argentum stopped her.

"Please, come in, my dear. We were about to leave, anyway" the man smiled at her warmly.

"O-Ok" Iris went back inside and closed the door behind her. Prompto's parents were now standing, gathering their things before leaving. His mother whispered something in his ear and smiled, as her son stared at Iris, surprise written all over his face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Love you" Mrs. Argentum said, before following her husband outside. They both gave Iris the warmest of the smiles, and the girl could swear Mrs. Argentum had whispered a "Thank you" before leaving.

The two were now alone in the small hospital room, the neon lights from the ceiling providing a ghostly atmosphere. At least he had a TV, she thought. And a private bathroom.

"Hi" she said awkwardly.

"Hey…az" he replied just as awkwardly, unable to look into her eyes.

Iris clutched her hands behind her back and shyly stepped forward, sitting on the bed beside him.

"H-how are you?" she asked, suddenly wishing she was 17 again and on her way to the Wiz Chocobo Post with him. If someone had told her back then what they would go through after that day, she would have had a good laugh. Instead, she stared expectantly at the boy who had managed to steal her heart from Noctis. The same boy that had always made her and the others laugh, but that looked so incredibly sad and scarred now.

"Good" he smiled at her, but she could tell he was tired of pretending. Or maybe he wasn't as good at it as he had been ten years before.

"No, you're not" she contradicted him. He didn't answer, merely stared straight ahead.

"The Council took a decision about you" she said after a few seconds of silence. Prompto quickly glanced at her, a look of raw fear in his crystal blue eyes.

"Luna and Ignis have proved your innocence, and we all believed them. Well, Noctis couldn't participate after the beating you gave him" Iris chuckled lightly before continuing "But I am confident he has already forgiven you".

"I'm… not sure about that" Prompto lowered his head.

"Your friendship goes beyond that! Yes, you may have fooled us all, but you also saved us, Prompto" Iris said warmly. Prompto lifted his head when she had said his name, his Lucian name. Somehow, hearing her say it made him feel good. It made him feel like he belonged.

Feeling suddenly bold, Iris kicked off her shoes and laid down beside him while Prompto carefully moved to the side when he understood her intentions. The bed was a small one, but he thought he could survive a while in the uncomfortable position. He'd stay like that for the rest of his life for all that mattered. Iris rested her head and her right arm on his chest, carefully avoiding the bandaged parts, as Prompto wrapped his left one around her waist.

"I'm sorry, by the way" Iris said suddenly.

"For what?" he asked.

"For kicking your Imperial ass" she chuckled, and he laughed too.

"Hey, anytime" he joked "Always told you that you hit hard, woman".

They remained silent for a while, with Prompto absentmindedly drawing invisible circles on her skin.

"Wish I could have done something more for my mom, though" he said suddenly "My biological mother, I mean".

Iris glanced at him as she listened intently. He had never spoken of his biological parents before, let alone his mother whom he had never met.

"You… heard something about her?" she questioned carefully.

"Verstael told me about her when I was being held in Gralea" he answered seriously "Told me she was of poor family, and he convinced her to come with him to the Imperial capital to start a new life. He tricked her into following him and…"

Iris blinked when he trailed off, the topic of the conversation obviously too hard for him.

"You don't need to tell me, if you're not ready" she told him kindly as she reached out to stroke his arm.

"I need to tell someone about this" he continued determined and exhaled. "He took advantage of her".

Iris gasped at this shocking revelation, as she eyed him to try and understand if he would continue with his tale. He did.

"And that's how I was conceived. I'm not sure what happened next, but it's easy to imagine: I was taken away from her when I was an infant to be turned into an MT, and she… she was turned into a Daemon for his experiments".

As he spoke through gritted teeth, Iris noticed how his body had begun shaking with anger and regret, and she automatically hugged him, for words were superfluous in that moment. He hugged her back, inhaling sharply as he tried to pull himself together.

"There was nothing you could do for your mom, Prompto. However, you did avenge her eventually" she told him. She felt so incredibly sorry for the poor woman, and so sorry for the young man who held her in his arms, who always tried to cheer other people up when he was the one who needed it the most.

"Thank you" he whispered gratefully.

They stayed in that position, in silence, until Prompto heard her even breathing, signaling she had fallen asleep. He stared at her, peacefully slumbering, and smiled contently. If that was a dream, he didn't want to wake up. If that was reality, he sure as hell didn't deserve it, but wouldn't complain either.

* * *

 **Reaching the end soon :'(**

 **Next Chapter: Prompto is accused of high treason. Luna and Ignis have tried their best to convince Noctis of his best friend's innocence, but it's now up to the King to take the final decision. Will** **Prompto be condemned, or will** **their friendship go through yet another seemingly insurmountable obstacle? D:**


	9. Proven More Than Worthy

Luna and Ignis were sitting by Noctis's large bed, waiting for him to finish his breakfast. Ignis had made sure to bring him his freshly made pancakes with blueberry jam that the King liked so much, just to boost his mood before speaking of the dreaded topic: Prompto.

Luna gave him an encouraging smile when Noctis was finished with his pancakes, looking very much satisfied.

"You're recovering quickly, Noct" the spectacled man broke the silence.

"Yeah, the doc said I will be able to return to the Citadel either tomorrow or the day after" Noctis said "Though I would have preferred not being here in the first place. Guess I owe it all to our Damian Besithia".

Ignis and Luna exchanged a look. "You mean Prompto" Ignis corrected him, sounding slightly tense for the first time since they had met.

"No, I meant what I said. Damian Xanthus Besithia, the traitor" Noctis remarked coolly "He's never been Prompto Argentum".

"I beg to differ" Luna interfered calmly, and the King frowned at her.

Ignis sighed loudly before speaking. "I guess you have a lot to catch up on".

* * *

When Prompto opened his eyes, he immediately knew he had fallen asleep in a most uncomfortable position: his neck was stiff and his back hurt. However, that was in contrast with the tingling he felt on his right cheek. When he turned his head to see what was tickling him, he saw Iris's long hair sprawled all over his chest and partly on his face. He smiled tenderly as he tightened the grip around her waist, pulling her closer and ignoring his protesting body. The girl moaned softly but didn't wake up, merely adjusting her position as she buried her face into his chest.

Prompto let her rest, gently stroking her hair and enjoying the peaceful moment with her. He wasn't sure how long it had been when she finally woke up, her large brown eyes lazily scanning her surroundings.

She frowned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"'Morning, sleeping beauty" Prompto greeted with a smirk, and she jumped.

"Wha-? Prompto?" she seemed extremely confused for a moment before the memories of the evening before came back to her. "I fell asleep here".

"Yes, you did" he grinned, while rubbing his sore arms.

"My back hurts" the girl complained, massaging the sore spots.

"My whole body hurts" Prompto teased "But I'd do it again".

Iris blushed at his words as she stood up and checked the clock on the wall. It read 11 AM.

"Oh snap! Ignis and Luna were supposed to meet Noctis an hour ago! I absolutely need to know what happened!" she cried out while quickly knitting her shoe laces.

"I wanna come too" Prompto said as he stood up to join her, but Iris placed both her hands on his shoulders and forced him to sit down again.

"No, you can't" she told him severely "I doubt Noct'll come to that, but we can't risk you being sent to jail straight away in case Luna and Iggy haven't managed to convince him. What if he sentences you to death?"

"Noct would never do that to me" Prompto muttered, mostly to try and convince himself more than her "He's my best friend".

"I know" Iris smiled "But as I said, you did almost kill the King, and that is enough to earn yourself somethin' like two hundred life sentences. So you're staying here until I find out".

And then Iris did something she had never done before: she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, leaving Prompto completely baffled as she took advantage of his surprise and left.

* * *

It took a while for her to find the King's room, and it took even longer to be granted access to said room. At least four Crownsguards were standing outside, guarding the door and making sure no one who hadn't been authorized could get any closer. Once she had successfully proved she was one of the High Commanders of the Kingsglaives, one of them agreed to announce her.

Seconds later, Ignis stepped outside the room and smiled at her.

"How's he doing?" Iris asked.

"Oh, perfectly fine I'd say, after devouring six pancakes with blueberry jam and whipped cream" Ignis answered lightly, earning himself a longing look by one of the Crownsguards.

"Well, have you and Luna told him the truth about Prom?" she questioned again, worry written all over her face.

"Yes and no" the spectacled man replied, though his faint smirk told her otherwise "You know how stubborn he can be, but I am sure we're making progress".

"Maybe we should leave him alone with Luna for a while" the girl grinned "She's always had a powerful influence on him".

"Yes. Or maybe you could come in with me, and tell him that you've spent a whole night with Prompto and are still alive to tell the tale" Ignis suggested calmly. Iris blinked several times before blushing furiously.

"How do you know that?" she asked blushing.

"Why, I met Mr. and Mrs. Argentum yesterday, who reliably informed me of a certain Kingsglaive lady visiting their son. And when I did come and check up on you two, you were all tangled together in bed" Ignis explained without the faintest trace of embarrassment.

"Ignis, you make it sound totally different from what it actually was!" Iris exclaimed, glancing at the Crownsguards who were trying to hide their smirk.

"My apologies" he slightly bowed his head, though she was sure it was mostly to hide his smile "I just realized how… compromising that sounded".

Iris sighed in defeat and accepted to step into Noctis's room to see how he was coping with the news.

"Hey there, Your Majesty" she greeted, earning a warm smile from him. At least he wasn't all gloomy as she had imagined.

"Hello, Iris" Luna gave her a warm smile, and Iris returned it.

"So, Noct" Ignis strode across the room and took another chair to sit in "We're all eager to know what decision you will be taking".

"I dunno, Specs" the King sighed frustrated "I don't know what to believe anymore. I trust you guys, but something kinda… broke between me and Prompto. What if he is actually lying? What if he has greater plans in mind, and he is just playing the part of the innocent victim before striking when we least expect it?"

"It's wise of you to not let your guard down" Ignis nodded "But consider this: the Empire have grown considerably weaker since Iedolas and Izunia's death. Now that Verstael is gone too, the Empire are at a loss for leaders. Even if we considered the idea of Prompto being the last one of them, he wouldn't really pose a serious threat against our Kingdom, what with him being completely alone. Furthermore, you saw by yourself that the MTs stopped functioning when Verstael fell in battle. They do not have any other leader to take orders from".

Noctis seemed to carefully ponder his words, and Iris could almost see the cogs working relentlessly in his brain.

"I'm not sure…" he repeated, though a bit weaker.

"Love" Luna intervened, resting a hand on her spouse's arm "don't take a harsh decision which will potentially consume you. Because it will, eventually. Follow your heart, listen to what it's trying to tell you".

Noctis lowered his head and frowned.

"Damn you, Prompto" he finally muttered.

* * *

Prompto was absent-mindedly stabbing the mushy carrots in his beef stew when the door to his room opened. An armed Crownsguard announced that he was to be escorted to the Citadel without further ado.

Prompto swallowed as his heart began hammering against his chest. Iris hadn't shown up after that morning, and the way he had been summoned didn't leave him with much hope. However, he forced himself up on his feet and asked for a few moments alone to get ready. He could still see the Crownsguard's silhouette outside the door, as Prompto stepped into the bathroom to try and fix his unruly hair and wore his civilian clothes brought in by his parents. When he was finished, he let the Crownsguard escort him outside where they were soon joined by three more officials.

They told him to get in the shining black car parked outside the hospital and drove him to the Citadel. No one spoke during the short car ride, and no one gave away a single emotion which could tell him what to expect once he'd arrive at destination.

When they parked outside the tall building, Prompto realized that the news of his trial had spread quickly, probably thanks to the newscaster on TV who had announced the event: the square outside the Citadel was swarming with people. He recognized some familiar faces, including the worried ones of his parents, and heard them whispering as he was being escorted to the throne room.

He guessed that everyone in Insomnia knew his real name and what he really was by now. Prompto kept walking as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen: at that point, he doubted that he would earn Noctis's forgiveness.

When the heavy doors to the throne room opened, his suspects were almost confirmed when he was met with the King's grave expression. Crownsguards were lined up on both sides to shield their King and the Council members had taken their seats in the circular room. It was impossible to decipher their expressions.

"Damian Xanthus Besithia" the King started his speech shortly after in a solemn tone "You have been summoned today for your trial".

Prompto instinctively scanned the faces of the Council members to try and locate Iris's. She found her sitting quietly in her chair, her eyes stubbornly fixed on her feet.

"In light of recent events" Noctis continued, as he stood up and began descending the stairs "Our Council and I have arranged a special meeting to discuss your fate". Noctis was now marching toward him, as the Crownsguards in the room watched in distress, not sure of what to do: the King normally sat in his throne as he gave his final judgement.

"You have been accused of high treason against the State, as well as physical damage to the city of Insomnia and the King himself" Noctis stated severely.

Prompto's lips parted automatically but then he remembered that he was not allowed to speak unless so instructed by the King.

"Is there anything you would like to say in your defense?" Noctis asked.

Prompto sheepishly glanced at his former companions, all sitting in their wooden chairs, before answering. "If they haven't managed to convince you, I strongly doubt I will be able to, Your Highness".

His voice sounded so defeated it almost surprised himself. He guessed he would simply have to accept his death penalty or, if he was really lucky, a life sentence in prison.

"Very well" Noctis continued calmly "Guess we will have to stick with tradition and go for a public execution."

Prompto simply lowered his head and clenched his jaws. It felt so unfair, after all the things he had been through, after finally winning Iris back, all would end like that: with him being shot as Insomnia watched and remembered him as nothing but a traitor.

"Or" Noctis's voice resonated once more in the quiet room "You could stop messing around and say sorry to your best friend for beating the shit outta him".

Prompto blinked several times as his words sank in. What was he talking about? The blonde lifted his head as he dropped his jaws in surprise.

"Prompto, you son of a bitch" Noctis laughed as he hugged his friend.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be the final one, and it will mark the end of this story.** **Oh my gosh, I feel so sad! T_T**

 **Next Chapter: the end! Not gonna spoil anything :D**


	10. Against All Odds

Prompto still had a hard time believing he had obtained his freedom as well as all of his rights as a Lucian citizen. Noctis had made sure the newscaster told the truth about their gunslinger, and Prompto was now being praised as a hero.

It was overwhelming to be recognized wherever he went, as people gave him large smiles or patted him on the shoulders.

With the Empire finally dismantled, the kingdom could now know peace and prosper. And he, Prompto Argentum, whose name had finally been cleared, was to be thanked as well as the King of Light and his Kingsglaives.

He was a lot more popular among girls too, who would suddenly stop him to ask for a picture together, or boldly plaster a kiss on his cheek when he least expected it before running off. Prompto enjoyed his moment of glory in the start, but had to admit it could be extremely tiresome. All his life he had tried to prove himself worthy, and now that he had, he wished nothing more than to go back to being the invisible photographer he once was.

And yet, despite having few moments of privacy, he was happy. He returned to the Citadel dressed as a Kingsglaive to serve his King and best friend. However, with the menace of war finally over, they all had a lot more spare time. Prompto used his to dedicate himself to his hobby: photography. He would occasionally work part-time for the local newspaper, as well as a few websites where he would provide them with some shots he had taken, and soon enough had saved enough money to buy his very first apartment. It wasn't big or fancy, but enough for him. And it was close to both his parents and the Citadel, so he could visit his family and friends whenever he wanted.

The thought struck him one afternoon, while he was hanging the last picture on the living-room wall. The picture of some iris flowers he had taken ten years before, when he and the others were on their way to the Disc of Cauthess.

He had been so busy moving into his new place that he had almost forgotten all the things Iris had done for him. She had come to him when the whole city had been standing against him, she had believed in him and comforted him and he had never had the chance to thank her. After all, he did owe her a better date.

Prompto left the picture hanging crookedly on the wall as he jumped off the sofa and grabbed his phone.

* * *

Iris felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, but didn't check the message straight away. Well, she couldn't since she was technically at work, fulfilling her duty as Kingsglaive. She had totally forgotten about the insignificant episode until she got her break. As she sipped her coffee in a leather armchair, she extracted her phone to check the time. It was then she remembered someone had tried to contact her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name of the sender: Prompto.

 _"_ _You at work? :D"_

Even at thirty, Prompto still chatted like a teenager and that made Iris smile.

 _"_ _Yes, finished in a couple of hours!"_

It took less than forty seconds to receive a new message from him, which now read: _"we're both free tomorrow! ^v^ Wanna go for a walk when you're done?"_

Iris pondered it for a second, thinking that she would be quite tired after the end of her long shift, but she had to admit she was craving some quality time with the blonde.

 _"_ _Sure! I'm done at 10 PM. If you're still awake by then!"_

 _"_ _If I'm still awake? At 10 PM? Gurl, I'm 29 not 90! ;D"_

Iris chuckled at his reply before almost choking on her coffee. Her eyes had automatically fallen on the time displayed on her screen, and she quickly typed a " _Gotta go, see you later!"_ before sprinting back to work, feeling much lighter knowing she would be seeing Prompto soon.

The rest of her shift went by uneventfully and, when the clock on the wall chimed 10, she happily ran to the locker room to change into her civilian clothes. She didn't have anything fancy to wear given the short notice, but she didn't mind and was sure Prompto didn't care either.

As she ran down the long hallway which led to the elevators, she bumped into her brother, who had just arrived to take over and start his night shift.

"In a hurry, ain't we? Where you off to this time?" he asked with a grin.

"Date. I think" she answered panting heavily.

"With whom?" Gladio asked frowning.

"Prompto!" she exclaimed jovially, waving a hand at him before he could start his usual spiel.

"Well, tell him I said that this time the King won't be there to save his ass if he fucks up again!" Gladio shouted after her, but he was secretly smiling.

Prompto grinned widely when he finally saw her emerging from the tall building. He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against to walk towards her.

"Hey there" he greeted "Had a weary day?"

"Ah, yes! Glad it's over" Iris replied, mirroring his contagious smile. "So, where are we going?"

"No idea" he shrugged his shoulders "Didn't plan anything".

Iris frowned and sent him a mocking smile "Sooo…?"

"So we walk, let's see where our legs take us" he said simply.

Iris wasn't sure whether to appreciate his spontaneity or curse him for making her walk after nine long hours at work, where she mostly stood. However, she was with him and she wasn't going to complain.

"I saw we're working together on Wednesday" Prompto said casually as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dark grey sweater. "Gotta ask Noct to make it happen more often".

"Isn't it Cor who plans our shifts?" Iris asked, and Prompto pouted.

"Might as well give up on that hope, then" he joked.

They kept chatting about trivial things as they walked, and soon they had reached the city's outskirts, where people were much fewer as well as the bustling sounds of the city life. Prompto guided her across a bridge and the two found themselves on the opposite side of the main district. The deserted place mainly consisted of some office skyscrapers and factories, so Iris wasn't entirely sure why he had taken her there. The streets were feebly illuminated by old lamp posts and a single, tall skyscraper: the only one which was lit among the dark ones.

"What is this place?" Iris asked as she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. She definitely didn't miss the darkness she had been living in for ten long years.

"Trust me" Prompto said soothingly, as he took her hand and guided her toward the lit skyscraper in front of them. However, he didn't walk through the entrance doors but circumnavigated the building until they reached a backdoor, barely visible in the dark if it wasn't for an electronic panel blinking a red light. To her surprise, Prompto extracted an ID card from his pocket and swiped it in the panel before punching in a code. The red light turned green and he opened the door, gesturing for her to go in first.

"Wha-? How?" she asked surprised as he chuckled.

"My dad works here" he explained as he locked the door once again "I ehm… borrow his card, sometimes. Whenever I need a quiet place where to think, I come here".

"And he lets you use his card?" she asked again "What if someone finds out? There must be surveillance cameras around here, no?"

"Well, yeah. But I know where they're located and how to avoid them" he answered with a bold smirk "And no, he doesn't really lend me his card. Let's just say I borrow it when he's not looking… and then I return it before he wakes up in the morning".

He grinned widely at her again as he rushed her to a lift at the end of a corridor.

"Can't believe I'm doing this" Iris giggled "And the fact that we're two High Commanders of the Kingsglaive guards makes it even more compromising".

"…Or more exciting" Prompto corrected her with a wink.

They rode the lift all the way to the last floor. As soon as the doors opened, Prompto grabbed her wrist and dragged her into a dark aisle, pinning her against the wall.

"Prompto, what the…?" she asked as her heart began hammering, but he placed a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh" he hushed her and pointed at a surveillance camera above them.

"When I count to three, you run, ok?" he whispered into her ear.

"One"

Iris was completely aware of their proximity, his body pressed against hers...

"Two"

She could smell his fresh scent, which had never changed after ten long years...

"Three"

She felt his warm hand run down from her shoulder, to her arm and eventually found her own hand, as his touch sent pleasant shivers down her spine. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the aisle, running as silently as possible before the camera could turn to face them.

They turned around a corner and stopped to catch their breath. He was grinning as he panted and, suddenly, they both burst into a silent fit of laughter due to the adrenaline.

"That was fun" he said, once he had gathered enough energies to speak "We can do it again on our way back".

"How often do you come here?" she asked him as she followed him further ahead.

"Often" he said "Since I was nine or something. I used to come here after dark when I wanted to be alone".

Iris processed his words as he led her up a flight of stairs. He opened a rusty door and a sudden, cool breeze caressed her face.

"Here we are" he said as they stepped onto the large rooftop that overlooked the whole city. Iris's jaws dropped as she stepped closer to the edge to have a better look at the breathtaking view of Insomnia. She could see the lights from the city, the people –who looked so tiny from where they were standing- the shops, the apartment buildings, the Citadel…

She doubted she had ever seen a better view of the Crown City, even from the Citadel itself.

"Do you like it?" Prompto asked a bit nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Wow, Prompto… it's beautiful!" she answered truthfully, and he smiled contentedly.

"I'm glad you like it. I… wasn't sure you would" he said.

"Why wouldn't I?" she inquired, unable to divert her eyes from the scenery. "I bet you brought lots of girls up here anyway" she joked.

"Actually…" he said a bit awkwardly "You're… the first one".

His words finally made Iris tear her gaze from the view as she stared at the blonde.

"I mean" he continued after clearing his throat "As I said, I used to come here whenever I needed to think. Which was more often than you can imagine. Especially when I was a kid, as you know… I didn't have any friends, and my parents were always away. I was alone all the time and so I came here when my dad fell asleep, and I would take pictures. And daydream. A lot".

Iris noticed he was doing it again: his habit of rubbing his right wrist, now completely exposed as he didn't have the need to conceal the bar code printed into his skin.

"What did you daydream about?" she asked, her interest piqued as she rested one arm on the metal balustrade.

"Uh? Ehm, well…" he stuttered embarrassed "About… the life I wanted to have. I wanted to be able to go out without feeling ashamed to be what I was. I wanted to have friends, _real_ friends. And going on an incredible adventure all together!"

"But Prompto" Iris smiled tenderly "Your dreams all came true! You met Noct and the others, embarked on an epic adventure and even saved Lucis from the Empire, ultimately clearing your name and officially becoming a Lucian".

"I know" he grinned proudly "I still can't believe that".

They remained silent for a few minutes as they peacefully stared at the bustling city below.

"That's not all, though" he said suddenly, making Iris turn towards him again and give him a questioning look.

"I mean, that was not all I daydreamt about. I've been coming here often lately, too" he confessed as he blushed furiously. His voice was shaking slightly.

She didn't say anything, though, fearing she would make him even more nervous if she did. She simply waited until he was ready to tell her.

"I have been thinking… about you" he finally muttered. Iris was taken off guard by this sudden revelation and she snapped her head to the side to glance at him.

"Actually" he continued, a bit more confidently now "I never stopped thinking about you. All these years, you were always with me. You never left my side as I fought for my life. You were my light in the dark".

Iris's heart was beating so fast she was sure all the people in Insomnia could hear its rhythmic sound.

"Prompto…" she whispered. Prompto smiled at her as he grabbed his camera and started browsing the countless pictures he had taken, until he found the one he was looking for: the very first picture he had taken of her at the Wiz Chocobo Post. Iris smiled nostalgically as she stared at a much younger version of herself, with short hair and a large grin. Her eyes were innocent and unproven, and they didn't yet hold ten long years of fighting.

"I kept them all" he continued as he tapped on the "Next" button, showing her the many memories they had shared together. She giggled at some pictures that had immortalized them in ridiculous positions or expressions, before sighing loudly.

"Jeez, we've been through a lot, haven't we?"

"Yeah" he nodded "Could write a book".

"Or make a movie" she suggested chuckling.

Her smile slowly faded as he approached her, his eyes scanning her face with an unreadable expression. He was no longer smiling, and he kept glancing from her eyes to her lips. He was now standing inches away from her.

"I want you to know" he whispered as he gently caressed her cheek with the side of his hand "That, despite everything, you've always been the only one. The only one I ever gave my heart to".

Iris hadn't even realized she had started crying silently until he wiped one tear away with his thumb, a tender smile growing on his face. She lifted one arm and rested her hand on his.

"I can't say the same about you" she said, and Prompto frowned in confusion.

"I gave my heart to Noctis long time ago" she continued "Unlike you, I ceased it to someone else before you came and changed it all. I won it back only to lose it again to you. And despite all the sufferings and insecurities, that was by far the only defeat I cherish and never regretted".

Prompto, who had been listening to her with a worried expression, broke into a joyous smile as he cupped her face and leaned forward to press his lips against hers. She kissed him back, fully aware that her heart was going to burst with happiness and longing. She had been waiting ten long years for that kiss, and now it was finally happening.

Their bodies pressed against one another as he deepened the kiss, smiling contentedly as his brain registered all the new emotions he was feeling, emotions he had never experienced with any other girl before.

It was in that moment, as they kissed under the stars, hundreds of feet above street level and with the city lights as the only source of lighting, that Prompto understood she was the one. The one for him, the one who had been patiently waiting for ten years, the one who had gone against everything and everyone for him. The one that had stayed. Against all odds.

* * *

 **So this is it. The end. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :D I would like to thank each and everyone of you for reading and taking the time to let me know your opinions about the story itself. Words can't describe how grateful I am whenever I see someone has actually been reading, reviewing, following, etc. etc. You're awesome :D  
Love y'all, and see you in the next fic! ^w^**


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